Deception: A Kakashi Love Story
by QueenElric19
Summary: Misaki, a young assassin, is given the assignment of checking up on Naruto; the nine-tails jinchuuriki, which also includes posing as a genin - Sakura Haruno, to be exact. This means that the man known as Kakashi Hatake will be her new sensei. Somehow, he ends up falling for her, and Misaki has to choose between paying off her father's debt and Kakasho himself.
1. Prologue

Braiding her hair, four feet long and golden as it was, was always a process.

Misaki would wake up at the crack of dawn just to comb it; gliding the bristles down and through the tangles, creating soft waves - which alone would take at least a quarter of an hour - and then lather it gently with water to make it easier to work with.

She would separate it into parts, each one designated since the first moment she had started to wear her hair in this assortment of complicated folds. Her quick, slender fingers would move through the strands rapidly; weaving it over, under, and around, until there was not even another millimeter to braid. This process would take at least 45 minutes, sometimes even over an hour if she came across a tangle, or a faulty loop, and had to start over. But, if everything went smoothly and according to plan, the activity would only last her until the sun was just barely showing through the trees; meaning that she had time to get dressed.

Every day, Misaki would wear the same outfit; a combination of black capri leggings, a tunic style cover with matching black jacket, if it was colder, and a pair of comfortable - though undeniably worn and old - combat boots she had kept in decent shape for the past few years. Her hair was of course, always in the braid, which reached down past her hips, and to spice things up, sometimes she weaved flowers into it as well.

It wasn't like the extra accessory necessarily became a hindrance to her ability to complete her day's work, but she didn't wear them often, mostly because it took much longer than her usual routine. If she took the time to put them in, it would cause at least a 15 minute dip in her schedule, and if her boss was in a bad mood, that just wasn't acceptable. If she was late reporting to work, he would yell at her for _hours_ \- often wasting even more time than she had - and only give her the dirty jobs that the lower recruits in her organization usually handled; due to lack of seniority. As she had been a member for a good 10 years now, at least, Misaki had more experience than most, so she usually got the higher ranking jobs. But, as mentioned, when he was angry at her, he gave her awful duties out of spite, just to make her annoyed, and to feel his own sick sense of satisfaction.

There were days when she didn't mind, as she was off in her own little world anyway, but most of the time, such days would end with her limping off to bed, sporting vicious cuts and bruises with a scowl on her face. So yes: having the flowers in her hair to compliment her piercing blue eyes benefitted how she felt about herself, (because let's face it, she was a pretty woman, and those flowers only served to make her even more gorgeous) but often the risk was too much for her to handle. So, on days like to today, when her back was still sore from her last assignment, and she barely had the patience to put on a touch of makeup, she could go without the extra boost in pretty.

Misaki finished tying the ends of her beloved boots, and tapped the hard, rubber bottoms with care to make sure they were still, in fact, not falling apart since she had last glued them together.

After another moment of proper examination, she confirmed them to be in working order, and she bounced out the door on ecstatic heels that moved much faster than the rest of her body.

A neighbor who lived across from her in the compound - which was really just the dorm rooms her organization provided, as many of the members had no home - chuckled at her bright smile, calling, "Morning, Rapunzel!" and began laughing even more as she jokingly shook a fist at him. It wasn't as if she hated being called that, as she had brought it upon herself with that hair of hers, but to be truthful, it had grown to be rather annoying in recent years. She had heard such a nickname addressing her for as long as she could remember, and it grew to such a point that she had to remind herself constantly of what her actual name was. Sometimes, she would have to repeat it to herself daily, saying, " _Misaki, Misaki, Misaki,"_ in order to rid her mind of the constant stream of 'Rapunzels'. Of course, she wasn't about to reprimand the poor man who had just walked outside, as he was simply going with the flow, but still. Sometimes Misaki wished someone would actually pay enough attention to her to realize that she didn't actually enjoy it as much as they thought.

Before he left completely, she decided to be polite and yelled, "Have a nice day!" to the man's retreating form. He turned to her and smiled; waving.

Misaki didn't know him, but he seemed nice enough. Though, not like anyone was truly kind if they worked _here_. She herself was a prime example.

The many people that thought she was just like Rapunzel, and were amused by her daily braiding, were all a part of the same organization she was, as she never really came into contact which much of anyone else. It didn't really have a name - or at least, she had never really cared to ask what it was - but it simply worked as a mini ninja village in a small sector of Konoha; taking on the dirtier side of incoming jobs, most often including assassination or body pickup. Misaki was usually requested on the more dangerous side of things, hence the reason that she had said she had more experience. She had been here since she was a teenager, and she had learned more than a _few_ ways to get what she wanted. Misaki didn't necessarily enjoy the conquest of murder, but the pay was profitable, and anything that could get her closer to paying off her lazy (not to mention deceased) father's debts was fine with her.

She would even stoop down to the life of a killer.

But, in any case, even though the others teased her with a funny name, and often blatantly told her that they thought pushing through such a struggle each day was just a waste of time, she didn't mind. Misaki didn't mind combing her hair, or braiding it for an eternity, even though it took away from the rest of her day. She quite enjoyed the process, actually, and if they were going to make fun of her, then screw them. She didn't care. She only had to associate with them for a few more years at most, anyway, so it wasn't like she couldn't handle it.

And anyway, part of the reason she kept her hair so long in the first place, was to mark how much time had passed. Honestly, she wasn't really sure how old she was now - perhaps in her early or middle twenties - but just having her inch upon inch, and foot upon foot, on a constantly growing golden spool was enough of a reminder to keep her going. As long as she had this hair, she would know how long and how hard she had worked for her goal. In fact, even without that, she didn't really mind it. It was beautiful, just as she was, and it suited her well.

Especially now, since she had discovered that she could keep weapons in it.

The idea had just come upon her one day, as she was shopping for extra supplies at her local, "Ninja Assortment Store". A certain kunai, cream colored and rusting slightly, stood out at her; looking just as blonde as she knew her own head to be.

And, just like that, it had hit her.

Misaki had bought the entire display that day, regardless of the fact that the metal was weathering away, even as she held it in her hands. This was the edge she needed on the other ninjas - if she could even call herself one. And this idea was absolutely perfect.

Misaki rushed home with her new finds; excited out of her mind about what might be in store for her. She could just see it! She, running through the rough terrain of Konoha in her usual gear, surrounded on all sides by rogues, seemingly void of all hope. They would close in on her, thinking they had the advantage, and without even a second to spare, she would emerge with a fresh, camouflaged set of shuriken that had been hidden in her hair the entire time. It was simply groundbreaking!

In a hurried flourish, she had disassembled her braid, tugging away at the higher loops in her rush, despite the fact that it was only causing more knots to form. It was tedious work, almost as time consuming as _forming_ the weaves, but once more, Misaki pushed through it in the mindset that this would turn out to be as fruitful of an idea as she had hoped.

 _And it did._

She wedged every weapon she could in there while re-braiding it; shuriken, kunai, senbon needles; the whole shebang. And surprisingly - miraculously - they stayed there. As Misaki tied off the end and stood, swirling around, not even a single piece of her vast collection dropped, or could even be seen for that matter.

It was the perfect battle strategy.

That next morning, as Misaki braided her hair for what could have been the millionth time - the clock showing 6:47 A.M. - she inserted the weapons once more, surprisingly only eating up an extra five minutes.

Without wasting much time on the rest of her outfit, opting for a simple tank top and leggings, Misaki swiped what was left of her gear into her bag, and bolted out the door of the hotel she had been resting at previously - as she was a good twenty miles from the compound - without another thought. She had already left some money for the owner on the table, so she didn't think the abrupt leave would be looked down upon.

A good mile or so was cleared within the next few minutes - her braid bouncing against the small of her back as always - and Misaki came to a halt suddenly to take in a deep breath. She was positively giddy; impressed beyond belief with herself.

Sure, the braid hung much heavier on her head than it had before, but that was a small price to pay in the long run. _This_ was going to be her edge during investigation missions. No longer would she have to head into the front lines without weapons, in the attempt to blend in as a simple civilian. Now, she still could, but at the same time, be twice as deadly.

And oh, she was.

That day had gone more smoothly than any other day prior, and from that point on, she had used the tactic ever since. It _did_ give her that extra edge, just like she had hoped, and just like she had planned. Her assassinations became almost entirely silent and a hundred times as deadly _overnight,_ and suddenly, the requests for her - though unfortunately with the code name Rapunzel - tripled. She was back in business. And it would no longer take an eternity to pay off the colossal and ever rising pile of debt.

 _How she loved her brain's crazy ideas._

Misaki, as noted, didn't necessarily _like_ her occupation, but with this find, she was starting to enjoy it just a bit more. If she could keep this up without getting killed for just a bit longer, she would be home free. And once that money was off the table, and she could start earning for her own pockets once more, she could finally quit. Finally settle down, and find a nice husband as her late grandparents - bless them - would have wanted. She _would_ be happy; for them, if not for anyone else. And if it took a few more years, then so be it. She could wait another decade, another century. As long as she could pay them off within this lifetime, she would be satisfied.

After all, even a killer like herself surely deserved at least a moment of happiness.

"You're late."

She paled. "No, I swear-"

"Kidding!"

Her boss, thinking he was much cleverer than he really was - as always - took in a hasty breath and laughed heartily at her nervous state. She wasn't scared of him, per say, as she could easily take him out, if she wanted to, but for some reason, she rather disliked displeasing him, so it always stung to know that he was angry with her. Perhaps it was simply the fact that she had never had a healthy relationship with her real father, controlling her from within her subconsciousness. Whatever the case was, she tried to avoid being late at all costs, and even hearing it as a joke made her worried in seconds.

He was a large man of perhaps 50, meaning he was growing in years, and he sported a constant grin; but only if he wasn't angry. His hair was sloppily parted, brown, and often hung in his face, and his eyes were a dull gray that still sparkled with the youth he had lost. All in all, her boss was a kind looking character, though he dealt with the wrong sort of jobs, and Misaki loved him to death, almost like he was her father.

Of course, she had never actually told him that, as it was too embarrassing, but she was sure he knew, to some extent, how much she cared about him. It wasn't a lie that he had said she was his favorite. He knew how much she cared.

"Anyway," he continued; patting her head with his large hand. "I've got a rather interesting assignment that came in for you today."

At this news, her head perked up, and she looked at him with a half questioning, and half hungry look.

"By interesting, do you mean…?"

He laughed again, but only for a second. "It's high paying, yes, but that's not why I thought you'd be intrigued. Tell me, _Rapunzel_ , have you ever heard of Kakashi Hatake?"

Confused as to just who this strange man was, she shook her head. Such a name had never passed her ears prior to this moment, and it almost made her question his very existence because of it. Usually, she had at least caught wind of the _name_ of her target, at the very least. Sometimes, she even knew extensive backstory about them. But with this man, she simply had no clue.

"I figured as much," he noted; pushing what was obviously a photograph of the man mentioned to her.

Picking it up, she drank in his features, as was customary, and concluded that he didn't look especially talented. It wasn't like she could really deduce such a fact from a mere picture, but the vibe coming from even the slouched way he stood had her instantly sure that he wasn't very impressive. His hair was really the only thing that caught her eye; being entirely white, and standing up on an angle she had never thought possible. One of his eyes was covered by a leaf village headband, and he looked to be of a jounin rank.

Final conclusion: She didn't want to waste any time on him.

Looking unimpressed, she slid the photo back to her boss, who caught it nimbly in his fingers.

"He doesn't look all that great. I could kill him easily."

Blatantly, and with no further explanation, he countered with, "That's because you're not going to kill him."

A blank expression crossed her face, and even as he slid another photo to her, it did not leave her. She didn't understand.

This one had the same man sitting with a group of three children - obviously genin - two males, and one female. One of the boys was notably an Uchiha, and the other looked rather flamboyant, with hair and eyes that rivaled hers, while the girl had strawberry pink hair and looked about as sheepish as they came. Overall, they looked like a team of wannabes, and more than ever, she didn't understand why the boss was even showing her this.

"See this girl?" he asked; pointing to her, like she couldn't determine which one of them was female herself.

"I need you to pretend to be her."

 _That wasn't exactly what she had expected._

Even more confused, she asked, "What do you me-" before he cut her off; saying, "No, let me finish."

He took in a breath before continuing.

"The blonde kid standing next to her is Naruto Uzumaki; the nine-tails jinchuuriki. Some of our scouts say he's going to be a hot topic in the next few years, so we need to snag him before another rebel group gets to him first. Of course, I need you to collect a good few weeks of information on him first, so that's why you'll be posing as a genin, but in the end, this is still a capture mission. No killing is going to be involved, but still, if you do this correctly, we're taking a salary increase of at least 15%. I'm sure that even if this assignment doesn't, the money interests you." He smirked cheekily at her. "You can't refuse such an offer, can you now?"

Stubbornly, she turned away, as if she was thinking.

It was true she wouldn't be turning down such an offer. She would be an idiot to, and Misaki was no idiot. She didn't like it, and for some reason, she knew that she would grow to _hate_ the one called Kakashi, but if she could get through these next few weeks, the money involved might just have her closing the debts a year early. And that was something she couldn't just ignore.

Calmly, she turned back to him, saying, "You know I can't resist the temptation of money. I'm hired."

 _But at that time, she had had no idea just what she was getting herself into._


	2. Chapter 1 - A Mistake

Misaki wasn't sure why today felt different than all of the other days prior to it.

She had gotten up just the same, done her hair in the exact same fashion, and had worn practically genetic clones of the clothes she had worn yesterday. Her boots were still fraying at the fabric, coming apart in virtually every way possible, and her hair was still just as long, and filled with just as many memories. Everything was as it should have been; untainted and hidden from the outside world. Things went about with their usual business in a calm and quiet atmosphere. Everything was fine.

Still, though, _something_ felt out of place.

Misaki had been ordered early that morning, once she arrived at the Boss's office, to spend the day observing her new targets. For the most part, she'd only be doing so for the jounin named Kakashi, as he was currently the strongest. She would follow him discreetly, learn his usual living patterns, and basically stalk him to the ends of the Earth. Then, and only then, once she felt she was comfortable enough with his overall character, she would officially begin her mission.

As of right now, she had no idea how she was going to get the actual genin girl out of the way, which was kind of the main point, but, as that wasn't _technically_ her _current_ mission, Misaki decided she wouldn't have to worry about it. She would simply ignore that horrible nagging feeling in the back of her head; telling her that all of this was wrong, and that something bad was just waiting to happen.

No, she wouldn't listen. After all, Misaki was the _definition_ of bad. She was an assassin, and therefore, some strange gut feeling didn't mean a thing.

But still, it bothered her to no end.

As Misaki began walking into town; the time being about noon, according to her analysis of the sun's position in the sky, the thought of this being a mistake was still running through her mind. Her braid bounced against her back in the usual system of bumps and swirls, and her legs shuffled her through the streets successfully without being noticed, but she could still feel something amiss in the air. Something sinister, and something a heck of a lot more evil than she would ever hope to be. And it honestly gave her the chills.

A few residents gave her strange looks, as if asking what she was doing there, but she paid them no mind as she passed through. (The butterflies in her stomach had made no abrupt gestures in their direction, so she could conclude that they weren't a threat). The small town sector was the same as any other sub-village in Konoha; except for the fact that this one held the Hokage's quarters. The streets were cleaner here, and despite the dirty looks she had gotten previously, the overall atmosphere seemed to be much happier than the other towns she had visited recently. People were smiling, and kids were running in the streets freely; not plagued by fear that they would get attacked or robbed.

Basically, the town she now walked through was like any other, but just... _slightly_ better. And even though that awful feeling was still there, Misaki couldn't help but stop to take in a deep whiff of something that smelled mysteriously like ramen in content.

 _That_ was something she'd have to try while she was here.

Continuing on, Misaki strutted through the town on light heels; deciding not to dwell on the fact that she was obviously unwelcome here. After all, she was only here for a peek. And if the residents couldn't handle that, then they had more problems than just her being there.

Wincing slightly, but still not stopping herself, she dug the toe of her left boot into the rough pavement; scraping back and forth as she pressed onward, in the direction of the

place _Hatake_ was said to often be practicing with his students. As she had briefly surveyed the area last night, she knew it to be a decently large meadow of nothing but green, and an expanse of trees, which surrounded the dirt on all sides. Roughly in the center, there were a few memorial stones, honoring the dead, and the rest of the plain was a flat, deserted wasteland, which meant that it was more or less perfect for training.

 _...Great._

Hours ago, when she had come during the dark shadows of the night, she had confirmed that the area was heavily used, as her boss had told her, so she could assume that they would be there at the current time. But _assuming_ was of course, never fun. Usually, checking if the target was in place was the job of disposable scouts; low-ranking in the seniority scale in her organization. However, in this mission, though she was of course the leader of it, she had been given none of those scouts, so even though it was terribly unfortunate, she had to do everything manually. And that included this little skirmish, which she wanted no part of.

Instead of doing something actually _important_ , like researching the aspects of the female genin's life, and getting used to her environment, Misaki had been ordered to scope out their training zone; which was information she easily could have gotten from a scout, had she had any. This operation was a major time waster, and even more so now, because she couldn't go too fast with the risk of someone seeing and reporting her. She didn't know how this village worked, but from she had seen so far, none of those civilians looked like they would simply ignore a girl moving faster than their eyes could follow. They would tell the Hokage. And if news got out, even if they were just rumors, she would be in trouble.

Her organization's reputation was upholded by agents like her; who could finish the mission without bothering anyone. If she caused a problem in this village, she caused a problem in the organization. And if she did that...well...Let's just say that there would be no paying off her father's debts anytime soon.

Misaki would have to execute this perfectly. She would have to blend in without flaw, just like a normal civilian. And even though the job itself was a pain in the butt, she would just have to trudge through it.

Because here, even one mistake could mean death. And _that_ was no laughing matter.

Sighing, she slowed her pace even more as the ground beneath her switched from pebble-covered pavement to sandy grass; a sign that she was quickly approaching the target's camp. Using her trained ears, even from this distance, she could hear countless grunts of pain from the younger children, plus one exceptionally loud complaint after another by one particular voice, which she assumed was coming from the blonde one. Or rather, from the jinchuuriki.

Immediately, she shuddered at the thought of it; stopping only for a single moment to imagine what might become of him in the coming years. She had her own crosses to bear, but _his_ was…

She shook the thought off; allowing herself only to pity him for a second more before she started walking again. Even if she was feeling sympathetic towards the boy, she knew she could not spare him from his fate. She had a job to complete. Personal feelings or opinions were of no consequence. Especially here. This particular mission was _serious_ business.

Again, she heard shouts and squeals, always ending with a girl's voice, asking, "Sasuke, are you alright?!" in the most annoying voice Misaki had ever heard. She knew that perhaps the girl would mature in the future, and the voice would change, or even go away completely - not to mention the fact that she really shouldn't judge - but for some reason, she was almost suddenly _glad_ that she was taking her place. That would spare the other team members at least a _little_ misery. And though she cared nothing for any of them at this point, especially this Sasuke, who was likely to be a pompous brat, because of all the Uchihas she had come across in the past, she was happy to be of service.

After all, doing odd jobs for others, dirty or not, was her income.

As she cut the distance between them in half once more, Misaki opened up her ears completely, in the attempt to catch even a whisper of the jounin's voice. This whole time, in which she had been walking, he had not said a word, and it worried to her to no end. As he was most certainly skilled, it was entirely possible that he was aware of her presence. And though at the current time that wasn't necessarily a big deal - as this face was unrecognizable to them, and never would be, as she would have taken on the girl's appearance anyway while with them - the nervous feeling decided to come back. And it told her that if she let them see her; even catch a glimpse, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

 _But it was too late to worry about that._

Unaware that she had been so close, due to the fact that she had been extremely anxious, Misaki walked straight into the clearing where they all stood like the idiot she was, and almost instantly, the silver-haired man's eyes snapped to hers. Their gazes met immediately, and before she could even think to dash away, he had already memorized her features.

And he _knew_ something was up.

There was a blank look on his face, but it was also accompanied by shock; hidden underneath his mask, and the natural shadows cast by his nose and headband. His mouth opened and closed once; stretching the fabric, and before she knew it, with her thundering heartbeat, he was walking towards her.

Panicking, she finally got her feet to work, and she turned on her heels as fast they would allow; sneaking off back into the trees, where she would be safe to race away under the camouflage of the leaves.

At least, that was the plan.

Instead of getting away without any more problems, Misaki was soon closely followed by the jounin; who was on her tail in seconds, and spitting out common protocol questions when you found a suspicious person in your midst.

"Who are you?" was one of them, and it was the only one Misaki really registered. Still, even if she could have answered the question, she didn't. She just continued running; barely keeping enough distance between them to eliminate the possibility of him grabbing her.

...Man, if he was really this close, then that meant that she was _really_ off her game. She needed to pick it up.

Still running, and now surprisingly out of breath, she managed to form a quick jutsu in preparation under her jacket, in a space where he could not see. It was a fire style, as was apparently a favorite of this village, and she was prided herself with her ability to execute it. Almost just as much as she prided herself with the ability to execute her job.

Faltering once more with another disbelieving thought of her failure, Misaki gave the jounin an opening, in which he reached forward to grasp her wrist. His fingers brushed her open flesh, and the sensation instantly brought forth a clammy feeling all over her body. Her skin became so pale, she was sure she was quickly becoming transparent.

The air was so thick at that moment, that Misaki thought she might just suffocate on the spot. She couldn't breathe - much less form a coherent thought - and every attempt to take control of the situation miserably backfired. Misaki just wasn't used to failure. And when it happened, she had no back-up plan to keep her going. Right now especially, she had nothing; not even a brain, which allowed her to think of some witty comeback to catch him off guard.

Misaki was useless. And his hand surely _would_ have connected with her wrist, had his female student not cut in with her annoying voice - that suddenly wasn't so annoying, and more just her savior.

"Sensei, help! Naruto fainted!"

 _The tension broke._

Misaki didn't wait to see if he was still trying to follow her, or if he was simply _watching_ her quickly retreating form. She just ran; not _without_ a care in the world, but completely unable to think straight enough to consider them.

She could only manage a single thought, at this point, and that was this:

 _That did not just happen._

As the forest grew thicker with an increase of trees, Misaki kept running; already fearful that she had been reported. She had failed, and it was only the second day. _Only the second day!_ She hadn't made a blunder like that since before she was a teenager, and yet, here she was, running for her life.

It was just that...Misaki _didn't_ make mistakes. She didn't have troubles, and she most certainly didn't get so lost in thought that she walked right out into the enemy's sights. There was something off about today, just like her gut had been trying to tell her all along.

She shouldn't have ignored the feeling. She should have taken the day to do a different task that wouldn't require her stomach to twist in knots, or her hands, like what was happening right now, to clench so tightly together that they lost all feeling, and at the same time, brought up fresh blood.

Misaki never should have come to this village of Konoha; or have accepted this mission.

 _And now, it was too late._


	3. Chapter 2 - A Missed Chance

"Kakashi-sensei?"

It still haunted him, even now. The way her lips formed words, the way her eyes - blue as the very ocean waves he had crossed on his last mission - sparkled with every gesture; every smile. The way her entire being captivated him more than he ever could have imagined, and the way she so effortlessly lured him in with that hum of a laugh that was more beautiful than any music he had ever heard.

The way he kept thinking about it, even now, days upon hours upon minutes, even upon _seconds_ , later.

"Neh, Kakashi-sensei!"

It had been an entire week, in which he should have gotten over it, but for some reason, Kakashi was _still_ plagued by it; by the strange, completely by chance meeting with the beautiful girl he still didn't know the name of. That day, he had just been strolling leisurely through town, not a care in the world, and then she appeared, looking like a goddess that had descended onto Earth to grant the wishes of one, particular silver-haired ninja.

The wish to put his never-ending boredom to rest.

Every day was the same for him, sometimes there were missions, sometimes there weren't, and every night, he returned to his apartment alone. No one was waiting for him, not even a friend or family member, and most definitely not a girlfriend. Seeing her was like a dream, and at the same time, a nightmare, because he couldn't have her. After all, he hadn't even said a single word to her. He had just... _seen_ her. And somehow, now, he couldn't _unsee_ her.

"Come on, Sensei, you there?"

She was only strolling past him, and yet he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

The way her hips swayed ever so slightly as she readjusted her hold on the bag she carried; the melodic hum that exited her throat as she giggled. Her hair was like silk - of course, he didn't have the audacity at the time to actually touch it, but he _assumed_ it was softer than anything of this world - and her skin was flawless; like she was in fact faultless, like that of a celestial being.

It was almost like she was an angel, the way she so calmly appeared in his life, as if to deliver _something_ to him. He didn't know what it was, didn't know if it was something he could touch, or something he could hear, or something he could feel; but it was _there_. And Kakashi felt a strange shiver running down his spine, though he was usually not bothered by women like this.

Upon looking at her again, a faint redness to his cheeks, he was shocked to find the heat of the sun wafting around her, creating a hazy image around her shoulders, of what only could be described as wings. He almost gasped, and he turned away instantly, as if it was an inexcusable crime to look upon such a woman who was surely, and quite literally, an angel on Earth.

This woman, who entered his life in more ways than one, was captivating.

Her blonde hair, twisted elegantly into a French braid, bounced as she walked. It went in a simple pattern that repeated itself endlessly, swishing from side to side at least a dozen times before finally breaking the mold and smacking against the small of her back, where it quickly bounced back into his position after righting itself, and the cycle started again. His eyes followed the rhythm; the way it swayed as one single mass, but he soon found himself looking away yet again - once more with a blush - as he noticed just what the end was hitting.

To put it lightly, her hair was really long. And if he didn't stop risking glances at her, someone was going to scream 'Pervert'.

Vaguely, but without really thinking about it, as his mind was completely in disarray, Kakashi racked his brain to find any memory of her. He swore he had never seen her before, but yet, there was something very familiar about her. Like they had a history he couldn't quite recall, and it bothered him to no end to have no idea what it was.

He didn't, or rather, _couldn't_ , remember much of his past beyond a certain point, so it was entirely possible that she had appeared in his life at that time, but something still told him that that wasn't it. There was something more, something neither of them could see at this point in time, and he so longed to speak with her, and at that very moment, to hear from her personally if she felt the same mysterious, but not yet ominous connection.

Those electrifying eyes, which had caught his interest the most, in a shade of blue so deep that it could've been mistaken for the night sky, held many secrets, and were constantly looking at new things, like she understood everything in the universe. And he wanted her to look his way so badly, to find out what her impression of him would be. But she never did, and his heart almost tore in two at the thought of never seeing her again. Once she walked away, that would be it; she would be gone forever. Even now, he could see her retreating figure; getting smaller and more distant with each second he waited.

 _And in the end, Kakashi had hesitated a few seconds too long._

He raced after her, after some time, when he had finally racked up enough courage, but by that point, she was nowhere to be found. There was no trace, no evidence, that she was ever even there; except for the memory he now held of her. And considering the fact that he had been under the impression that she an angel for half of the time, the chances of anyone believing his tale were unlikely. Not like he really wanted to share the experience with anyone else, anyway, but... _still_.

Of course, if he was being completely honest, Kakashi liked it better this way. If no one knew about her except him, then maybe…

Maybe he might just have a slim chance with her? Perhaps not in a romantic sense, as that was a little too soon, but he at least had the right to wish to see her again, right? That wasn't a crime. Not in the eyes of anyone. And even if she showed no interest in him at all, after that joyous moment when he could finally see her again, he was sure he wouldn't mind. After all, if he was a girl, he probably wouldn't want to date himself either. For one thing, he read... _inappropriate_ books, (for some ages) and he was as lazy as a fat cat. No one wanted that. If she didn't, then that was just yet another thing that proved she had class.

And anyway, none of that changed the fact that he wanted to see her.

The past week had entailed nothing but thoughts of her, and quite honestly, he was sick of it. No, he didn't really _mind_ having daydreams about her being next to him, but when he actually looked at it from a theoretical perspective, it was hurting his performance. His team of genin - who he had been with for only a few days, just for the record - was actually landing punches on him now. And that was something that just didn't fly. If Kakashi didn't get his act together soon, he would be out of a job. And if that included the necessity to see the woman again, just to calm his nerves, then so be it. He would find her.

The only problem was that he had no idea where to look.

"SENSEI!"

A loud outburst from the blonde member of his team - Naruto Uzumaki, for those of you who _luckily_ do not know him - brought Kakashi back to the present; catching him off guard from another constant stream of 'thoughts of _her_ ' for the second time that day. And though he was slightly grateful to the boy, as he probably would have been spaced out, as he was, for another eternity without the intervention, it didn't make the way he had done it any less annoying.

His voice gave him a headache; even fiercer than the thought of never seeing the girl again. And _that_ was saying something.

"What is it now?" he asked with a low, bored voice; massaging his lower jaw, or in other words, the space beneath his ear. The boy smiled, happy that he had finally caught his teacher's attention after what had most likely been a long struggle of trying to get Kakashi to remove his head from the clouds.

Just as quickly, his face turned serious again. "Sensei," he began; scowling. "I don't think it's fair that Sasuke gets all the attention around here. I mean, what's so great about him, huh? I'm a heck of a lot greater, believe it."

 _There went his trademark catchphrase again..._

"And anyway Sensei, I think you need to talk some sense into Sakura. Her head's all messed up if she thinks this guy," he gestured to Sasuke, "is worth her attention. After all, I'm going to be the Hokage, and that's pretty important. What is Sasuke going to be, a farmer? I'm going to grow up and be somebody great, and all this mumbo-jumbo about him being the best right now is just gonna be one big joke in the future. And then, Sakura is going to feel so sorry, and she'll plead with me, asking if I'll take her back, but I'll already have like, a hundred girls under my wing, you see, and it'd be totally impossible to take in anymore, so I'd have to say no.

"But Sensei, you have to realize that Sakura's super pretty, and that I wouldn't really mind having her as my only girlfriend. So I think what she really needs, is a nice push in the right direction. Do you get what I'm saying? Why don't you go over there, and just…"

Naruto trailed off - finally bringing the silence back to the camp - and began pushing him over to Sakura, and therefore forcing Kakashi's gaze in the young genin's direction. Unlike what Naruto claimed, Kakashi didn't really see anything special about Sakura. Her talent as a ninja was extremely lacking, and everything she did, as Naruto had also mentioned, _had_ to involve Sasuke; which had already, and would still, prove to be a major annoyance. The only redeeming quality about her was that she was decently cute, but at the same time, she definitely wasn't gorgeous, and if he was being completely honest, he would say that he found absolutely nothing about her likeable. She was nothing close to the woman he now sought for; not even within the same universe.

Sure, she was only a little kid, and the woman he had met was much closer to his age, but already, he could tell that Sakura would never become that beautiful. She, no matter how much she learned, would never walk with such an aura of grace, and such an expression of maturity. She would never be able to pull off the smile and laugh of a goddess. Not in a million years. And even if Sakura tried, and tried, and tried, she would never catch the attention of someone like Kakashi; who was intelligent enough to see through just how fake she was, in the attempt to reach perfection.

Sakura Haruno, decently pretty as she was, simply had no chance.

And Kakashi - though he shouldn't have anyway - had absolutely no interest in her; not even as a student. He didn't want to teach her. He _so_ didn't want to. But, as he _was_ still the adult here, he had to put his personal feelings aside for the time being. And even though it pained him greatly now, he knew that one day, this would pay off. Hopefully, in the form of a beautiful blonde named…

"Sensei, you're doing it again."

Kakashi blinked twice, then twice more for good measure, and upon looking around, found himself directly beside all three of his genin. He had no idea how he had gotten there, much less, how Naruto had managed to get Sasuke to stay so closely next to him for such a long time. Perhaps it was only for the amusement of seeing his Sensei off in lala land, but over a minute was definitely a new record.

He smiled awkwardly at the three of them. "Indeed I was."

All of the young genin stared warily at him, as if scared that his mind would leave their presence again. Sasuke looked ready to slap him, if it was necessary. And Sakura looked like she almost wanted to as well, even though she was desperately trying to hide it. As for Naruto…? Well… Naruto was doing what Naruto did best.

Complaining.

"Seeeennnnssseeeiii," he wailed; upset. "I tell you to do _one_ thing, and you can't even focus for two minutes!"

Kakashi nodded; humoring him.

"You owe me a dinner then," he proclaimed; huffing, but secretly pleased with himself for guilting Kakashi into it. Sighing, Kakashi nodded again; too exhausted to even consider arguing in refusal. Somehow, Naruto always won those fights, however they went down. And Kakashi had no intention to struggle for nothing; especially not right after he had just spaced out again.

Once more, it was noted that he _seriously_ needed to get his act together.

If he kept thinking about her, continuously, like he was doing, she would never appear. He would go crazy, with his obsession of her, and when she turned out to be a figment of his imagination, there would be no putting back the pieces of Kakashi again. Basically, if he didn't stop this now, he was in some major trouble in the future. And even if it took a few months to get over the idea of her being next to him, then that was okay. As long as he was steadily working at forgetting about her, then he would be safe. It was only when he obsessed over seeing her again, that he would get into trouble. And as long as he didn't catch another glimpse of her, or what he _thought_ was her, in the near future, then he would safe.

Anyway, why would she ever walk through the forest at this time of day? A classy girl like her would be out in the city; shopping. And, since Kakashi really never left this place, except for a few hours in the day, there was no chance that their paths would ever cross again; especially if she wasn't real.

Yes, out here, he was safe. There wasn't even a _slight_ percentage that she would come walking through those woods. That she would emerge from the expanse of trees like the angel she was, and wedge herself back into his mind by slipping through the cracks he had not yet managed to fix. No. He had no worries of that happening here.

 _She would never…_

 _Ever…_

 _Not in a million years._

 _Walk through…_

… _._

 _If all of this was true, then why did that girl, walking casually out into the opening from the forest, look exactly like her?_

At first, Kakashi thought it was nothing but a dream. That his mind had wandered off again, and this encounter was nothing but a sick joke his inner-self was playing on him. But then, after moments upon moments of her not disappeared, his resolve weakened slightly. She was real. This was real. And his wish of seeing her again, after a week of thoughts of nothing but her, was granted.

He rushed forward almost instantly; ecstatic beyond words that he was able to come into contact with her once more; this time face to face. From what he could gather, she hadn't actually seen him, back there in the marketplace, so this was technically their first mutual meeting. And if that was a thing, then Kakashi needed to make a good impression.

However, as he tried walking towards her, she dashed away; catching him completely off guard, but not enough yet where she lost him completely. Within a few seconds, he was back with her, racing through the trees. And desperately, in the attempt to learn at least _something_ about her, he began spewing stupid questions of no consequence at her. He asked what her name was, who she was, where she was from, what her favorite color was...all of that stuff. And though the list of what he asked stretched on for miles, she didn't answer a single one. She just ran.

After a while, he got fed up with the chase, and made a grab for her arm, but was again, rudely interrupted by a member of his genin team. This time it was Sakura. And he wasn't sure if he would ever look at her in the same light again - though extremely limited already - after this.

"Sensei, help! Naruto fainted!" she screamed; causing him to stiffen immediately and freeze over. His responsibility as a teacher had no connection to this woman. And though he absolutely loathed the thought of saying it, he would have to let her go this time, though he still didn't quite understand why she was running from him in the first place. The code he had sworn to ate away at him, and he retracted his hands from her wrist. Students always came first.

 _And when he looked up again, she was gone._

Kakashi rushed back to the camp, already livid, only to find Naruto awake and happy again, which only served to make him even more angry. Upon seeing him, said boy cried out, "Sensei, did you see her? Forget about Sakura, get me a date with _her_!" And Kakashi could barely restrain himself from strangling the boy where he stood.

His wish; his only chance to see her again, had been wasted. And though it was better he hadn't followed her, and had the weight of a student's death on his hands, the possibility that he could have at least gotten her name tore at his soul.

He had been so close, and yet, the encounter ended just like one of his daydreams; completely unfulfilled. The only thing that made this one worse was the fact that it was actually real.

Scraping his foot against the dirt; Kakashi dismissed the genin with a wave of his hand, and stumbled angrily back into the forest, where just as he expected, she was still nowhere to be found. Just like she had in the city, she had vanished without leaving a trace. And it bothered Kakashi in more ways that one at the current time.

Right now, only one thing was for certain.

 _Once he got home, he had a heck of a lot of research to do._


	4. Chapter 3 - What She Hadn't Expected

Even though she knew the encounter with Kakashi and his team didn't mean anything, considering the fact that they would never be able to connect her real face with that of the Sakura she would try to portray, Misaki didn't stop running. After she had lost him in the forest, after he had been drawn back to his genin by that same annoying shrill cry, and after she had just gained the advantage, she did not stop. She did not falter. Without pause, Misaki simply continued sprinting out of that forest, and even as she came upon the building which contained the dorm she lived in, and she could officially feel protected, she did not slow down.

Through the halls, startling many a different organization member, she ran and ran; her eyes squinted, and almost closed, and her heart thumping wildly; more from fear than from exhaustion. Her breath was heavy in her throat, and she panted wildly as her arms pumped back and forth against her body - swaying to the same rhythm as her hair as it bounced against her back - up until the very moment she reached the door marked rather spitefully with a nameplate that read, 'Rapunzel.' Misaki's response to seeing the door was immediate, and she stood still for only the second it took to whip out her key and insert it into the knob before she launched herself into the room, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Slowly, for once, she slid down the wooden wall to rest on the floor; listening to the creaking sound it created, and the harsh pants her lips still exhaled.

Misaki wasn't sure why, but there was something that bothered her terribly about what had happened. Perhaps it was simply the fact that she had already failed; already exposed her true identity, or the fact that the man she had thought to be weak had quickly caught up with her. Whatever the case was, even as she sat in the sanctity of her room - silent, except for the sounds she personally was making - her heart stayed put in an awful twist, and with an ugly promise, assured her that the pain would not be leaving her anytime soon.

The same force laughed cruelly in the back of her mind, and she cringed at the sound of it.

Somewhere along the way, Misaki had become so scared of her own failure, that once something actually went wrong, she didn't know how to function. She didn't know how to raise herself up, or how to cure her erratic breathing, or even how to loosen the clenched feeling in her chest. She simply didn't know, and more than anything, she just couldn't accept what she herself had done. For the life of her, Misaki didn't know how she would be able to face her boss, who believed in her so firmly, and even the simple thought of it terrified her. Her fingers constantly twitched, and somehow, she found that she couldn't stop shaking. Her hands went instantly to clutch at her head, and with tears desperately trying to spring free, she ripped away the tie that was holding her braid in place.

With her lack of care, it took ages to pull each strand away, (in her confusion, she had attempted to start at the top, which the sane her knew _never_ worked) but the numerous weapons that had been stashed there were easily torn from their positions. On any other day, she would have carefully wedged them out with the precise precision of a doctor, trying to minimize the possible damage that could befall her hair, but today, instead of dwelling on what could happen, she simply let things be.

Before long, the hair fell freely down her back and across her face, and Misaki rose herself up for the limited amount of time it took to stumble over to her mirror. Once there, she collapsed back onto the ground, and frightfully, she turned back to the reflective glass to see just how pitiful she had become.

And what she saw there surprised even her.

No, she wasn't even close to ugly, but somehow, even through the warped glass, she could see the anguish in her eyes. It was sketched across her face beautifully, but at the same time terribly, and she held her own gaze for the longest time; just staring.

Somehow, without her consent, she had allowed her subconscious to take over; allowed herself to succumb to the pain she felt inside, but often had the strength to overpower. Today, because of certain events, overwhelming the fear she secretly felt hadn't been possible, and now - again, _somehow_ \- she was only just realized just how wretched her heart had become. She hadn't noticed it, because of how deeply her mind was set on dealing with her father's debt, but in her heart, there had grown a terrible, terrible fear; which had manifested because of how often she ran away from her problems. Constantly, she overworked herself, pretending that she was fine, but instead of consulting her own self, and perhaps even others for help, she had shrugged off the pain, and after years of doing so, it had caught up with her.

One failure, one slip-up, had been all it took to reveal the ugliness inside of her heart. With this, she could finally see just how weak she truly was, despite how strong she forced herself to think she was. And, more than she had realized, it stung, deeply within her soul, like an arrow to the heart.

Rather than be mad at her boss, the genin, or even Kakashi, she was angry with herself, and again, she wished to be out there in the forest running. She wanted to feel the wind harshly slapping her face, and she wanted to drink in the falling sun for only a moment more before her own darkness took over. She wanted to work herself until she collapsed, to again run desperately from her own self, and she wished for nothing more than the welcoming idea of infinite sleep to take her into its arms.

Misaki couldn't handle this. She couldn't handle having a father that had left her nothing but a pile of debt, a mother that she barely knew a single thing about, or a boss that would surely begin to hate her after he had learned of her most recent failure. She couldn't handle the pressure of being an assassin, and she couldn't withhold her own feelings of doubt from creeping up on her in darkness. Right now, she was simply too weak. And even though she wished for it to be different, nothing could possibly change what was already known to be true.

Somewhere, out in that great copse of trees, Kakashi and his team rested; wondering who she was, with the thought of her ever dwelling on their minds. Before long, the jounin would file a report about a suspicious woman with long hair loitering about the village, the Hokage would order the entire village to be on the lookout, and within seconds, any chances of her taking the place of the female genin would become impossible. With their increased alertness, they would become instantly aware of the sudden changes in the girl they thought they knew, and before Misaki had had the chance to even gain a single piece of information about the jinchuuriki, she would be exposed for what she really was.

And that, all because of her, would be the end to the almighty organization she worked for.

If her boss didn't already hate her, he surely would after the entirety of Konoha found out about the existence of their team, and before she knew it, she would be losing the only figure in her life she had ever truly considered as a father. He look at her with a fearful contempt, and with a fiery glaze in his eyes, and a voice so low it was more terrifying than if he had been shouting, he would fire her. She would pack up what little belongings she had, and that would be it. All chances of her paying off the debt her family name held would cease, and her heart would sink even lower into the black ink that it had already fallen into. The light would disappear from the bright blue eyes she, among others, loved dearly, and even her hair - Heaven forbid - would lose its luster.

Yes, if something like that ever happened, she was sure she would have to cut it.

The will to continue would soon fade away, and before she truly accepted what had happened, it would be too late to bounce back from her failure. Years would have gone by by then, and without Misaki even realizing it, it would be time for her inevitable death. She would have nothing to live for, anyway, but still, there would be countless regrets, and like a lone tree falling in an abandoned forest, no one would see or hear her go.

Misaki, or Rapunzel, as the majority knew her, would disappear from this Earth in the blink of an eye. And she was sure, despite how friendly and respectfully she was always treated, no one would care.

"So?"

Her boss's voice rang out into the night - the moon already high in the sky - as his previous statement rang over and over in her head like a broken record. _What did he mean, 'So?'_

Moments before, after she had been awoken from a deep sleep she hadn't known she had fallen into by a rough knocking at her door, Misaki had been called into his office. The rest had done her good, and now, instead of being hopelessly lost in her own misfortune, she at the very least had the strength to stand and walk freely by herself; though the happy expression on her face was undeniably a fake one.

Her steps were hesitant and heavy, and she tried to prolong the feeling of not being fired for as long as she could, but even through her attempts, the inevitable came. Before her, in what seemed like seconds, was his door. His awful, metal door, which had somehow - _somehow_ \- become at least twice as large as it had been when she had last seen it. She took in a staggered breath, and with frightful fingers, pushed lightly on the cold surface before it swung open on its hinges.

 _This was it._

Misaki stepped forward, very conscious of every step she took, and with a terrified feeling trapped inside of her, looked up reluctantly at the middle-aged man she had come to know and love. His expression was as stern as ever, and with another gulp, she gave herself the last amount of strength her body contained to carry her over to the plush chair in front of his desk. Upon sitting down, before her butt really had time to connect with the chair, he spoke.

"So, I hear you've made the jounin fall in love with you."

The shock and sheer unexpectedness in her eyes was immediate. Her head turned back to him with the fluidness of a machine, and her heart plummeted a few thousand feet in her chest before being roughly yanked back up by his voice, as if on a string.

"The scouts say he's completely infatuated."

Her mouth hung open, and she was sure if she had been drinking something at the time he spoke, it would have been promptly spit out.

"But I don't have any-"

"I know, I know. You don't have any scouts," he cut her off, "However, despite the fact that I didn't give you any for your personal use, I sent some myself to see how things were going, and they have reported back that you're somehow seducing the man."

Her throat became dry.

"Sir, I don't understand, I didn't do anything that you're spe-"

"Come now!" he cut her off again. "Don't deny it! Even I saw the way he looked at you!"

She shook her head. "No, _seriously_ , I don't think-"

"Look, _Rapunzel_. You can say what you like, but you can't take back what I saw in the tapes the scouts showed me. You might not have realized it, but the time you ran away in the forest - earlier today - wasn't the first time you met him. He saw you when you were walking through town earlier this week, and let me tell you, his eye simply lit up at the sight of you! Honestly, I expected him to be a tougher nut to crack, but really, I'm not complaining. We could use this! It would be perfect! You can start going out with him as you, while at the same time, you act as Sakura! It's the perfect scheme, and you can get information both ways! I can only imagine…"

His voice trailed off, but Misaki - unable to fully grasp the current circumstances - spit out, "But Sir! I let him see me! That was against your orders!"

His voice was uncaring and light.

" _So?"_

Now back to the present time, Misaki gained enough strength to rise up from her seated position.

"Sir, I don't think that this should go unpunished. I-"

"You made me aware of new possibilities, that's what you did."

He stared her down, and with his gaze, forced her back into the chair.

"Maybe those were my orders then, but these are my orders now: You will start acting as Sakura tomorrow. After training is over, and you supposedly go home for the day, you will return to him as Misaki, explain that you ran away because you were simply nervous, and ask him to meet you again. If you can do this, we'll be able to gain the information we need, and that 15% pay rise won't be just a fantasy.

"Now, I'll dismiss you to prepare. A scout has already taken Sakura into custody, and she will be allowed to awaken until this mission is over. Of course, she won't remember anything, so no worries. Transform into her, according to the photo I'll have sent to your dorm. You must arrive at her house before her parents wake up, but officially, your mission begins in four hours."

Weakly, she nodded; bowing to him slightly as her weak legs struggled to carry her back to the door, as she currently lacked the strength to continue to argue with him.

And, once more, and for the last time that night, her boss stopped her.

"Oh, and Rapunzel?"

She did not turn.

" _I wish you luck."_


	5. Chapter 4 - First Day as Sakura

"Damn his efficiency," Misaki muttered into the night; her fingers guiding themselves over the paper edges of the photograph in her hand.

She had only just returned from her talk with the boss, and yet, already, the image of the young genin she was to pose as was already in her room. Even before she had walked in, it had been there, lying innocently on her dresser-top, waiting until the very moment she opened the door. Even before she had talked with her boss, he had known that she would accept. He had known everything all along, and she had been kept in the dark until just now.

One side slid across her thumb and drew blood. She cursed again.

Of course, he was simply being true to his word, but somehow, it still bothered her. Here, just hours ago, she had been on the verge of utter destruction because of how terrified she was of failure, and yet he, happy as always, had been planning her next blind date with a toothy grin on his face at the same time. It just wasn't fair. If Misaki had known about his plan beforehand, she never would have had to go through such pain; such agony. She had practically ripped her hair out trying her best to make him proud of her. She had gone to new heights that she hadn't thought possible, descended into the very depths of hell itself and back in her desperation to please him, and yet he didn't care. He just smiled merrily with a drink in his hand; servants tending to his every need like he was a king, and pushed aside all of her worries with a single swipe of his large hand.

Misaki didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

She had never imagined that he would let her keep her job - and for that matter, be even remotely happy - but despite what she thought, he had. She was grateful for that. So, very grateful, that she wanted to leap into his arms and thank him for everything he had ever done; thank him for taking pity on a failure such as herself. However, on the other hand, she also wanted to slap him. He, without a care in the world, had made her go through such terrible anguish. He hadn't shown even a sliver of care for her feelings. He simply told her to do what he wanted, just like normal. And, though she was immensely overjoyed that she wasn't currently unemployed, the anger overpowered the feeling.

Misaki's mind, ever still, was in a disarray. She didn't know how to feel, or what to think, and yet again, even though she desperately needed someone, there wasn't even a single soul that she could talk to about this. Of course, she liked to think that her boss was her father, and that she could share anything with him, but as this was a matter that directly concerned him, not to mention the fact that she was close to ignoring his presence altogether, she just couldn't. Misaki had to think about her own emotions, all by herself. And, though that wasn't an uncommon occurrence, somehow, it hurt more than it usually did.

Now, as if fueling her tattered curtain of a mind, every little thing seemed to make her upset. In the cafeteria, they were out of her favorite kind of pasta, and even that, small as it was, tempted her to blow up at the apologetic man that ran the kitchen. She stopped herself before doing so, of course, but the emotions swirling inside of her once more took over as she returned to her room.

It was 3:43 A.M., and she knew she had to get to the Haruno residence before the girl's parents woke up, but everything in her told her that she shouldn't. More than wanting to talk with her boss, but still not be able to due to her own divided mind, and definitely more than being upset over out of stock noodles, the thought of posing as a genin pained her. For some reason, she just didn't want to do it. She didn't want to take any part in it. She didn't even care about the pay increase anymore.

If acting as Sakura meant that she would have to be a fake existence again, then she wanted to steer clear. She didn't want to trick Kakashi into falling in love with her, and she didn't want to gather information on an innocent kid that had done nothing more than be born at the exact wrong time. She didn't want to do any of this. She wanted to run away. However, her strong sense of pride in her duty had her stay in place, still staring at the photograph of the young genin. She couldn't back out now. She had already accepted. Backing out a mission was unforgivable.

Again, turning her full attention to the image, Misaki drank in the girl's features.

Slowly, she was getting used to the whole eye-blinding pink hair thing, but even still, the thought of it being her own made her cringe. She was so used to her own hair; so used to the four feet of blonde silk that sat again her back and constantly bounced as she walked. How could she naturally pull off walking with at least half of that gone? It was like losing a tail, or losing a pair of wings. Misaki would be hopelessly unstable, and as a ninja, even at the genin level, that was unacceptable. They would figure out immediately, and the plan would be foiled yet again, for real this time. And, it would be all because Misaki couldn't walk with shorter hair than she was used to. If nothing else that she had already done hadn't, _that_ would sully her pride.

Misaki sighed; fingering her braid. Her blonde hair would be disappearing in a matter of minutes.

 _She already missed it._

Staring even more intently at the photograph, Misaki noted the position the young girl stood in. Much like other girls her age, she stuck out her hip, trying to flaunt what she did not yet have, and wore a fake smile that was as false as her sweet personality. Her emerald eyes were bright - being the only feature Misaki deemed decent looking - and they stared to the side at her companion in the photo, rather than the camera. It was the Uchiha kid. And, though only half of his face was on the page, due either to the cameraman or a very sharp scissors, he was the focus of the young girl's attention. Again, Misaki cringed at the thought of having to pretend to like such a brat.

From what she had observed, the boy did not talk often, but when he did, it was most always a degrading comment or an insult, and that pissed her off. Misaki couldn't stand people like him; human beings that were overall worthless, and thought that they were unable to fail. Of course, she too had high standards for herself, but unlike Sasuke who was as arrogant as they came, she was at the very least decently humble. Misaki simply had confidence. This boy was cocky. There was a difference. And she did not look forward to spending time with him in the slightest.

Misaki's eyes trailed tiredly to Sakura's outfit.

A tunic style dress covered her figureless body, painfully red, and painfully unstylish. Misaki did not wish to wear it, but, if she was to fit in without any suspicion, she knew she must.

 _Though,_ she wondered with a devilish smirk, _What if she just made a few small adjustments?_

In the next moment, Misaki had ripped open her closet, where her eyes caught the garment she sought instantly. It was red, and rather similar to the dress Sakura wore in the picture, but instead of being a towel of a dress, it was a sleeveless shirt with a zip up top. Misaki had worn this only once, when the organization had had a celebration, so it wasn't like anyone had actually seen her in it before. It was perfect, the only problem being that she had worn skinny jeans with it, and didn't have a skirt that would match Sakura's style. However, she was fairly certain that Sakura's closet would at least have something, so, without a care, she slipped it on.

Once the red shirt was over her head, and the shirt she had previously been wearing sat on the floor, another problem arose. Misaki soon found that the only thing holding up the shirt was, frankly, her chest. And, since she was a grown woman, and _wasn't_ flat-chested, like the female genin was, there was definitely an issue. She couldn't wear this as Sakura if _she_ was the one that fit in this red shirt. No matter how hard she tried, she could never shrink a shirt to her desired size like she could shrink her body. Jutsus just didn't work on clothes. So, if Misaki still wanted to wear a shirt that would only properly fit a grown woman, she would have to improvise.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any to fully transform, Misaki laced her hands together in the form of a transformation jutsu. There was a puff of smoke - including the usual popping sound - and when the fog cleared, Misaki emerged with the face and body of a 12 year old; short pink hair and all. She almost gasped at her appearance, but willed herself not to.

Looking down, she noticed that the shirt hung limply against her now small body; looking highly unprofessional, and highly stupid. She put her hands together again with a sigh, and as the second cloud cleared, she materialized with a chest that was a halfway point in size between her regular appearance and that of Sakura. Of course, now, the shirt wasn't _as_ tight, but it was acceptable, and Misaki decided to let the matter go; even if she would have to bluff her way through having a larger chest later on today while as Sakura. Earlier on, Misaki had decided that anything was better than wearing Sakura's stupid red tunic, and she planned to keep to it.

Another sigh escaped her throat as she began to gather the necessary materials, and after the few seconds it took to stuff them in her backpack, in yet another puff of smoke, she was gone.

When Misaki next opened her eyes, she was standing inside the Haruno house. The clock read 4:11, and after she looked around briefly, she determined that she was currently in Sakura's room, as the pink walls and carpet were screaming for it to be so. In an instant, her eyes had analyzed the entire room, and with the up-close and personal feel of the mission down, she began to feel decently certain that she wouldn't have any trouble finding anything. At the very least, despite all of the negativities, Sakura was an organized girl, and Misaki was grateful for that.

Determined to get started right away, she strode to the closet, which she quickly flipped open. There hung a number of pink and red clothing that was similar to her ugly tunic, and, for a moment, she thought all was lost. Then, however, something caught her eye. There, in the corner, folded up, was a pleated beige skirt; which would be absolutely perfect for the vision she had in mind. She pulled it out, pulling it over her leggings, and zipped it up in the back.

A single look in the mirror told her that yes, it was in fact perfect.

After admiring herself for a few seconds, she moved on to the rest of the outfit.

Misaki, of course, wore the normal genin sandals that she was fairly certain they all had. Sakura's genin headband sat on her dresser, so Misaki put that on as well. It sat on her forehead for a few seconds before she realized that Sakura was trying to be cute by wearing it as a hair-band, so she changed the style to what she had seen in the photographs. It looked rather odd, sitting up there, and it didn't go well with the rest of the outfit, so, as an afterthought - and maybe just a bit of her own influence - she sloppily braided the rest of her hair; hoping desperately that Sakura tried to be unique sometimes.

As a finishing touch, she strapped on the protocol ninja gear to her thighs, and hopped onto the bed, trying to look like she was sleeping, just in case Sakura's parents came in. She pulled the covers over her small body in the hopes that they wouldn't notice she was fully dressed. Then, she allowed her eyes to shut, and, to her surprise, she actually fell asleep.

At seven, Misaki was awoken by a shrill female voice calling her name, which she instantly assumed was Sakura's mother. Or, rather, _her_ mother. Shaking herself awake, she slipped out from under the bedsheets, and with a few bounded steps, leaped downstairs. Her mother sat in the kitchen, sipping coffee in a robe. Her eyes - the only feature she shared with Sakura - widened at the sight of Misaki, but she allowed herself time to swallow before she spoke.

"Honey, why are you up so early?" she questioned; disbelief written all over her face. "You never get up when I call you."

Misaki stiffened slightly. She hadn't been told that Sakura liked to sleep in.

"Oh, you know" she began awkwardly, improvising, "I thought about it last night, and decided that since I'm a ninja now, I should start acting like one. I thought it should apply to household situations as well."

Her mother's eyes went from wide to narrowed to peaceful in a matter of seconds. After another few sips from her mug, she spoke up again. "Well that sounds lovely. I'm proud of you, Sakura," she told her, ignorantly blissful. Her eyes fell back down to the paper she had been reading prior to the moment Misaki walked in.

On the counter was an assortment of foods, ranging from apples to bagels, and with a start, a very daunting thought crossed her mind. Much like the many other aspects of Sakura's life and personality, Misaki had no idea what she liked to eat. And, for a mother that had known her daughter for all of her life, wouldn't it be strange if she suddenly changed her appearance, overall mindset, _and_ consumption preference all in one day? Misaki personally liked oranges. She wanted to eat an orange, and maybe a piece of toast. But, what if Sakura absolutely hated oranges? What if her mother found out she wasn't actually Sakura long before she ever made it to the other genin?

"Mom," she called; slightly hesitant. "What do you think I should eat this morning? I was thinking that maybe I should be stricter about what I eat."

Her mother's eyes glanced up at her over her raised coffee mug. "Sakura, I've told you time and time again that your body is perfectly fine. There's nothing to worry about, just eat what you usually eat."

 _But what_ do _I eat?_ she wanted to ask.

Instead, she let out an exasperated, "Mom, please!" hoping that Sakura was this laidback in conversation with her mother. Her boss's so called scouts - which she still hadn't actually seen, mind you - had told her nothing.

Giving in surprisingly quickly, Sakura's mother spit out a, "Fine," as if she was used to this sort of thing. "If you want to have something more healthy than usual, why not an orange? That's better than a bagel, right?"

Hopeful, she asked, "And a piece of toast?"

"Honey, I thought you hated toast."

"Right."

Her spirits fell considerably as she realized she hadn't eaten since yesterday, as Misaki probably could have done well with a piece of bread in her stomach. Still, nonetheless, one out of two was better than nothing, so she decided that she would rather take it than risk being found out by her mother. An orange fell into her weaker than usual grip.

"Thanks Mom," she said, and, with the full intention of heading straight to the training grounds, began walking out of the kitchen. However, the voice of her supposed mother once again interrupted her.

"Sakura, where are you going?" she asked, and Misaki turned around with a slight frown on her lips.

"Uh, to train?" she unsurely put in; trying to sound like a careless teenager.

Her mother's expression reminded passive, but slightly concerned under the surface. "Through the laundry room?" she questioned.

Misaki froze.

Trying to think up a quick excuse to get her out of the situation, she managed to stutter, "O-Oh my gosh, did I really just do that? It must be the lack of sleep, Mom. You know, I got up early today. I'm not used to it yet, so I'm still kind of tired. That's all it is." Her gaze found the other exit, and she began walking toward it.

"Are you sure?" her mother asked; standing up and advancing closer to her. "Because you're acting really strange today. First there was the fact that you woke up early, the food thing, and now this? I didn't even mention your choice of outfit. You always wear that red dress, don't you? And your hair! You never braid it!"

Misaki awkwardly attempted to smile. "Just a change of pace, I guess," she told her, once more trying to walk out. Sakura's mother stopped her; her hands on her shoulders.

"Honey, is this to impress that Uchiha kid you always talk about? Because if it is, you don't have to hide it. I was like that too when I was young, and there's nothing wrong with trying to impress a guy, but I don't want you hurting yourself over it."

In the mindset that that was a wonderful excuse, Misaki nodded sheepishly. "You figured it out," she disappointedly said, trying to hide her face. "It's just, he never notices me, and I just-"

Her mother cut her off again, this time smiling. "Say no more, Honey. I understand. You go out there and knock his socks off!"

Misaki nodded, grateful that she was finally letting her leave. She wasn't sure she could handle much more of this constant lie fest.

"Thanks Mom," she said, a sense of déjà vu coming over her as she realized she had said that same phrase at least once already today. "I'll see you when I finish training."

Her mother smiled as she watched her go, and, this time using the right exit, Misaki sped from the Haruno residence as fast as she could. Already, she was sick of this mission, and it hadn't even been an hour yet. Already, she didn't want to be here.

"Dammit," she said again, but for different reasons than the first time.

 _Only Heaven knew how she was going to get through another three weeks of this._


	6. Chapter 5 - First Day as a Genin

"Sakura?" the louder of the two males sitting beside Misaki asked; his eyes squeezed shut in obvious confusion. Dully, she noted that Naruto's usual spiky hair was even more unruly up close, but quickly decided not to dwell on it, as he was currently too close for comfort. She stared at him with an inquisitive, but slightly anxious expression.

"Are you alright?" he questioned; leaning forward even further into her personal space. A 'tch' sound left her throat as she tried her best not to slap him, but he didn't seem to notice. Naruto continued, "You look different. I'm not sure how, or what it is exactly, but...there's definitely something."

As an afterthought, he added on, "Believe it," and Misaki had to control the urge to scoff.

A bead of sweat gathered at her temple, and after subtly - or as _subtly_ as was possible - scooting away from him, Misaki brought a hand through her now obnoxiously pink hair with a half shrug. "It's probably just you," she tried to convince him, but, despite what she said, Sasuke was staring at her as well, and as she had found in the past hour that he had more brainpower than 100 Narutos, she felt herself become even more worried. It was true that she was more annoyed at Naruto than anything else, but even still, she did have a half a mind to be frightened that they were on to her. Everyone, seemed to be, including her mother, so it wasn't like it was a surprise. Still, though, Misaki was anxious. However, she desperately tried not to let it show.

 _So… maybe acting as a 12 year old would be harder than Misaki first thought._

After she had left Sakura's house that morning, Misaki had made a beeline for the training grounds, which she still admittedly hadn't found. It was around nine, and it was finally starting to warm up enough to warrant her current outfit, but more than anything else, Misaki's mind was captivated by her inability to find the correct copse of trees to dive into. She had, of course, surveyed the training grounds on previous occasions, (her skirmish with Hatake proved that one) but for some reason, now, in the body of the young genin, she could not seem to find it.

Everything looked the same; the trees, the ground, the sky, and, eventually, Misaki found herself so lost in the pursuit of walking through the maze of trees that she did not even notice the approach of one of her fellow genin. Without even realizing it, Naruto had appeared from behind her, and she, though she would have anyway, gasped out in genuine surprise.

"Sakura?" he had asked; with a definite questioning in his voice, as 'she' was wearing something quite different than the norm this morning, and didn't look anything close to what he was used to seeing. He seemed to be in the process of heading to the grounds as well, and, to her surprise, she found Sasuke with him, though a few paces back.

She turned to the both of them with a smile on her face, addressing Sasuke rather than the blonde, as she was sure that would be what Sakura herself would do. "Sasuke!" she squealed lovingly; perhaps _too_ lovingly. "I missed you!" She tried to run to him, but his expression - slightly miffed and slightly confused, as if he was angry someone had been keeping something from him - stopped her from doing so.

Then, suddenly his expression changed again, and, instead of the insult and refusal she expected, Sasuke almost looked like he _wanted_ her to embrace him. His cheeks, which was most surprising of all, were dusted pink, and his gaze, which she hadn't expected to be anywhere near her, was trained trained directly at her midsection. A thousand disbelieving thoughts ran through her mind all at once, but most of them held one single question:

 _Why was he looking at her like that?_

It was like he was suddenly infatuated, and it didn't make sense. She had heard, though the information was limited, that Sasuke borderline _hated_ the girl named Sakura Haruno. He hated anything that had to do with fangirls, he hated anyone that thought he was a reachable target, and, in some interpretations, he hated everything that breathed. Sasuke Uchiha was, overall, a prick of a boy. He was arrogant, practically narcissistic, and completely egoistic. He didn't care about anyone but himself. So then, if that was true, why was he looking at her like he actually-

 _Oh._

With a start, she remembered the... _changes_ she had made to Sakura's figure earlier that morning, namely in the chest area, and suddenly, it all made sense. Surely, the boys had never seen Sakura like this, so it was a surprise to them. They couldn't comprehend the sudden appearance of something that had never been there to begin with, and, as 12 year old boys, it was dutifully their responsibility to stare at the newfound change for longer than was polite. Of course, if they had been staring at her actual body in such a perverted way, she most certainly would have smacked them, but, as this body wasn't technically even _real_ \- the proper owner being inside it or not - she found that she didn't mind it as much. In fact, secretly she found it amusing.

Without a doubt, Sakura Haruno would definitely have a hefty amount of explaining to do once she arrived back with them. And, as Misaki realized with a slight damper to her spirits, unfortunately she wouldn't be there to see it.

She sighed, half content, and half upset; torn between her prior amusement, and her more recent disappointment.

Then, Naruto's questioning - already noted - ensued. (Let's skip back to the present).

After he asked her a few pointless questions, wondering if she was alright, but directly avoiding the actual question at hand, he surprised her by firing a rather bold question. "Sakura, is it just me, or do you seem more womanly than usual?" he asked, and then, seconds later, continued with a slight blush. "In the... _upper_ area, I mean."

He looked down, a little sheepish, and Sakura shrugged; conjuring up an excuse.

"I've actually been binding my chest since our academy days," she seemingly confessed, and the boys in turn looked shocked by the news. "I thought, you know, the regular...wouldn't give enough support, so I…" she trailed off, as if embarrassed.

Misaki forced her cheeks to redden.

"Anyway, the other day I discovered I didn't need it, so I stopped."

Naruto's mouth hung open, and she was fairly certain she heard Sasuke murmur, " _Please_ , never start again," but she tried to overlook it. She hadn't expected such of him, but as he _was_ a teenage boy, she couldn't exactly put it past him. Anyway, a bigger concern was on her mind right now, and it had to do with a certain sensei that wasn't alerting the other two genin of his presence. _That_ would be dealt with first.

Misaki dismissed any other similar questions - as she probably hadn't thought up an answer to them yet - with a wave of her hand.

"Anyway guys, that aside, where is Kakashi-sensei?" _Not like he was right behind them or anything._ "I know this is kind of routine by now," she _assumed_ it was routine, "but as our teacher," _she really wished he wasn't her teacher,_ "he really shouldn't be keeping us-"

A cold whoosh of air passing over her bare neck interrupted her words, and, though not unexpected, it proved to make her annoyed.

"Right here," the newcomer spoke, and though Misaki had technically already known he was there, she allowed herself to gasp in shock as if scared.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?!"

Catching the genin off guard - or, at least, catching Naruto and Sasuke off guard - the jounin suddenly appeared behind the three of them. Sasuke's eyes flashed, though he said nothing, and she could vaguely put together the fact that he was trying to hide his ever constant blush. Naruto simply continued to openly gape at her.

"Sensei, have you _seen_ Sakura?" he inquired; seemingly a stupid question, as she was literally right in front of him. However, as she turned, his single visible eye _did_ seem to glint with a certain recognition of the difference, and though he hid it well, Misaki was certain she had seen him do so.

Anyway, despite whether or not that fact was true, after a few minor complications on Naruto's part that Misaki couldn't care to explain, he decided to get started right away.

"Today, we will be…" He paused, seeming to draw out the actual activity to attempt to give it more effect. Unfortunately, rather than be mesmerized, Misaki just found it annoying. She really wished he would hurry up so she could go back home.

"Dueling each other!"

With this proclamation, again, she turned to face him, unsure if this was a usual occurrence or not. Based on Naruto's bewildered expression, probably not. Kakashi continued.

"And, to spice things up, you can't use jutsus. It'll be just a simple taijutsu fight. The first person on the ground loses, and the winner can fight the one who didn't participate in the first match."

For a moment, Misaki allowed herself to be glad, because she hadn't a clue about the any of Sakura's jutsus, but when Kakashi interrupted her thoughts - not for the first time that day - the hidden smile vanished from her face.

"I've decided that Sakura and Sasuke will be first."

He smiled, particularly at her.

"Take your positions."

Begrudgingly, she did so, but not without a considerable amount of self motivation. It wasn't like she was scared of the Uchiha or anything. In fact, it was far from it. More than that, she was simply annoyed with his presence in general, and, if she was to face anyone, out of her two options, she would much rather it be Naruto. However, instead, she was stuck with the emotionless pretty boy; one that stared too much, and hardly without trying, irritated the _hell_ out of her. No, she didn't want to fight him. No, she didn't want to be anywhere near him. But, if her sensei was basically giving her the okay to beat her fellow teammate to a pulp, then she wasn't exactly complaining.

As soon as Kakashi said begin, she launched forward. And, only after she had made her move - _much_ after - did she realize what a mistake it had been.

First off, let's recap:

From the hardly useful scouts of her boss that she herself wasn't able to command, Misaki had gotten some information about Sakura's current abilities. She had been told that Sakura was exceptionally book-smart, and that her chakra control was excellent. She had been told that she was infatuated with Sasuke Uchiha, and that she often tried to act sweeter than she really was.

Things had been left out, definitely, but she _had_ been told many things about Sakura. However, what she hadn't been informed - not even vaguely - was that Sakura was terrible at actually fighting. Absolutely hopeless; both in chakra reserves, and in the ability to overwhelm her opponent. But, again, had Misaki known that? No. So, when Misaki reeled back her fist during her first ever match with another genin, letting chakra take care of the momentum, and causing the proud but young Uchiha to fall backwards in two seconds flat, she was immediately greeted with the all too familiar disbelieving stares. And, quite honestly, Misaki just wanted to die.

 _Was that too much?_ she asked herself pointlessly.

Even Kakashi, who had not shown any interest in her besides the moment he first appeared, turned to her with a stunned expression. Sasuke was not much different. And, even as she tried to help him up, he did not even acknowledge her hand. He simply stared in shock at the bubblegum-haired girl that had never before shown prowess in any form of combat, and he did not stop for some time. Misaki awkwardly cleared her throat; realizing with a start that she was supposed to be in love with this boy.

"Oh my gosh!" she suddenly cried; trying her best to play off what had just happened. "Sasuke, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I wasn't even thinking! How could I ever do such a thing?"

Her head snapped to Naruto, and the fact that Sakura was often cruel to him came to mind. "Naruto, you idiot, don't just stand there, do something! He might be injured!" The blonde snapped out of his stupor - parallel to those of the other male squad members - in a matter of seconds.

"O-Of course, Sakura!" he stammered; turning to dash off into the woods in search of something to help the situation, not realizing that she hadn't actually told him what she wanted. Misaki allowed a small smile to grace her lips at this, simply because Naruto could be downright adorable when he was nervous. However, the smile faded as she felt the eyes of her teacher and fellow genin on the side of her head. She turned back to the Uchiha.

"Sasuke, I swear it was an accident!" she insisted suddenly; looking to Kakashi, who was less interested after she said so herself, but still thoroughly alert.

Sasuke himself, seeming to just realize what had happened, looked up at her, muttering, "Must have been," loud enough for her to hear it. She tried to look grateful for his understanding, and once more stuck out a hand, but this time, as he was aware of his surroundings again, he slapped it away.

"I don't need help from someone like you," he snarled; his eyes a glint of malice.

If Misaki had been Misaki then, she would have outright slapped him. Unfortunately, she was Sakura at the moment, so she said nothing. Sasuke turned to Kakashi, like she had done previously.

Instantly, he demanded, "Let us have a rematch," and Kakashi, still somewhat stunned, nodded hazily.

"Um...Begin?"

This time, Misaki took care to be less offensive. She blocked a hit or two, let a few hit her, and overall, did her absolute best to try and make it look natural, rather than actually focus on the match. She did not, however, try to punch him again, and, though she was fairly certain Sasuke was under the impression she couldn't, he nonetheless looked grateful for the fact that she didn't try. The match ended simply enough, with a falsely timid, "I've had enough," on her part. Kakashi deemed the exercise complete; seeing as though Naruto wasn't present for his match with Sasuke. Taking this as her chance, after seeing that she was dismissed, Misaki sped away.

However, her sensei stopped her by appearing in her path. She squeaked in surprise, because she was under the impression that that would have been the female genin's reaction, but inside, there was a fierce growl forming in her throat as she stared at the toned chest of her current sensei. If she was in her real body, she would could up his eyes, at the very least. Then, she wouldn't feel so small.

"Am I in trouble?" she asked, and, just as Kakashi was about to answer, Naruto came screaming back out from the woods; his hands full.

"I'VE GOT PAIN MEDICINE!" he proclaimed, lifting said relievers proudly. Misaki grinned at him; under the impression that no one had seen it. (A certain sensei had, but that's for another time).

But, just as instantly, her expression hardened again as she remembered who she was supposed to be. "Idiot!" she yelled. "He's fine already!"

"EHHHH?!" he gasped, and again, Misaki had to fight back a smile. This time, she didn't let it break through the surface, but it tugged at her lips, and, if Kakashi hadn't been there to remind her that he wanted to speak with her, she probably would have openly smiled again. However, even if it had given away her cover, she honestly would have preferred it over being alone with the silver haired man. It wasn't that she had anything in particular to worry about around him - at least, not any more than she did in the presence of the other boys - but there was something about the simple fact that they would be together, alone, that had her nervous. No, she didn't suspect him of preying on his innocent genin or anything, but if he was to find out while they were in close quarters…

"Sakura, you coming?"

"Oh, yes, sorry Sensei."

"It's alright."

Together they walked a fair distance away from the other boys, and once they arrived at a decently clean clearing, Kakashi gestured for her to stop. She did.

"That was...a nice punch," he admitted suddenly, after a few moments of silence. "You say it was just a mistake, and half of me wants to believe you. No offence, but you haven't exactly been the greatest fighter in past practices. However, today you showed me that you have potential, and, as your sensei, I am willing to help you blossom from it. How does that sound?"

 _Awful,_ she wanted to spit, but, controlling herself, she only asked, "Are you sure I have potential?" with a childish edge of disbelief to her voice. Kakashi simply nodded.

"Positive. We just need to work on it a little." He paused. "Actually, you might not have even noticed, but you put some chakra into that punch." She _had_ noticed, actually, but she said nothing. "If I could somehow teach you to do that every time, you could become a really strong fighter someday. All it would take is a few extra private training sessions. You're good with chakra control, so I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out."

He smiled a half, somewhat false smile. "Anyway, I'm sure you'd rather catch up with your friends than talk to me. You're free to go, but, just...Think about what I said, okay? I'm not joking when I say that you could be a great ninja."

 _Misaki already was a great ninja. She didn't need this idiot's help, and, quite frankly, she doubted he could even train a dog. Who could learn anything from-_

Cutting her own self short and swallowing the angry thoughts, she nodded cutely. "Thanks, Sensei." And with that, happy to finally be set free, Misaki skipped off in pursuit in her bed, where she was awaiting the feel of the soft comforters she was glad had been washed between her and the actual Sakura's use. Purposefully, she chose a different path than the boys were seemingly going to take, and, once she had leisurely hopped out of range, Misaki put some real speed into her footfalls.

She ran faster than the eye could see, once again loving the feel of the wind in her hair, even though it wasn't technically hers. Like the shadows of the trees, she swooped and vanished, half laughing in her head all the while, and half a little burdened by the fact that she was a foot shorter than she usually was.

The moon was just barely becoming visible, and, deciding that she had a little time to spare before 'her' parents would be expecting her home, hopped up into an oak tree; quickly scaling its heights. In seconds, she was at the top, and with a sigh, flopped down onto the sturdiest branch she could find so high up in the tree's structure. There, from forty feet off the ground, everything looked small, and she couldn't help but admire the forest of Konoha for longer than she probably should have.

It was silly, but somehow, since she had first began researching the area some weeks ago, Misaki had fell slightly in love with the feel of this section of Konoha. It was so peaceful. So serene. And, though she obviously had her own problems to deal with - troublesome ones that undoubtedly had to do with this part of the vast region - at the moment, she just didn't care. All she wanted to do right now was rest her head against the trunk of this tree, feel the vibrations, and all the life around her. Relish in the fact that there weren't tortured screams and bloody corpses everywhere she looked. Misaki wanted to enjoy the peace.

And, even though she probably should have been started off to the Haruno residence right about now, she didn't move. Not right away.

No, for a few more seconds, she allowed herself to stare at the fading sun; to inhale the piny freshness that surrounded her on all sides. Misaki allowed herself only but a second more to stare out into the night, the absence of sound like a calming dream. For a moment, for _that_ moment, everything was perfect. Completely exceptional.

And then the moment was over.

As if to abruptly end the wonderful dream, Misaki jumped down from the tree, not caring about the height or the fall. She simply let herself approach the ground, almost with the intent to never catch herself, and then, at the last moment, grasped a branch maybe eight feet off the ground. She safely dropped down from that one; coming in contact with the ground in a very regular, but somehow situationally disturbing way.

Her crouched stance rose back up into a standing position without a sound.

And, like the assassin she was, in seconds, Misaki was gone with the night.

(AN: Haha, super lame chapter. Comment [review?] anyway).


	7. Chapter 6 - First Day as a Girlfriend

Standing - for once, in her actual room - and looking straight into a mirror, Misaki quickly realized something: She _really_ didn't want to meet with Kakashi today. And I mean she really, really, _really_ didn't want to meet him. Nothing, not even the opportunity to have the entire day to her normal appearance - as she had tricked Sakura's parents into thinking she had training, when in fact, she didn't - and the company of her normal, beautiful hair, could change her mind. Not in a million years.

She just didn't want to go.

Yesterday's training, in her mind, had finally sealed the deal of the ever present question: 'Did she hate him, or did she just mildly dislike him?' And, as she was less than pleased to inform, his cheekiness, his unpunctuality, and most of all, his all around laid-back personality had pointed her towards the former. He had, without a doubt, succeeded in driving her up a wall. And she, quite officially, now found that she _hated_ the man named Kakashi Hatake. She absolutely despised him, and everything that had to do with him. She _loathed_ him. But did it help to know that she had been _ordered_ to go out with him? No. Not in the slightest. But did she still have to, despite her own personal feelings? Yes.

Quite unfortunately, _yes_.

Today - which would be the second day she would properly come into contact with the man, besides whatever had happened between them on the day of her almighty mistake - was the day Misaki would have to spend all of her time with him. She would have to initiate the start of it, lie - yet again - straight to his face, and make sure to imply that she was wanting more at the end of it all. She'd have to stoop down to a place that pride no longer applied, and somehow give him the impression that she was worth having, and that she _wanted_ to have him. As an added bonus, if her boss was wrong about his apparent infatuation with her, she might even have to fall to her knees by the end of the night. Misaki would have to grovel and beg for a man that she detested, and, if by chance he ever did find out who she truly was, he would know for the rest of eternity, just how pathetic she had been. He could spread rumors; ruin her career, and all because she had to be sure that she would get another fate. All because her boss was a blundering idiot, and she had made a simple mistake at the start of her mission. All because fate hated Misaki.

She sighed. Despite the dramatic flair, it was true. Fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, hated her just as much as she hated Kakashi, maybe even more, though that may be pushing it. After all, it had given her a deadbeat father, hadn't it? Indeed, it had given her a man that lived just long enough to mess up his daughter's life before his breath left him, and that was one clue. Fate had also given her a mother that she had never met. It had given her a lack of parental guidance, and it had given her one, single job option, that often messed around on the wrong side of the neighborhood. Clue number two; but that wasn't all. Fate had given Misaki a boss that she yearned to impress, but never could, as well. A boss that didn't _really_ care about her feelings. It had given her the burden of her occupation, and the seemingly never decreasing debt. It had given her dark thoughts, dark emotions, and overall, a gloomy life. It had given her no reason to stay living, other than the fact that she didn't want to die. Clue three, it had given her a fear of dying.

For hours on end, Misaki could sit and list off all the reasons she believed she was cursed by destiny itself, but right now, as it seemed the most clear in her current situation, she was burdened by a little thing she liked to call, 'Clue number four.' Something that burdened her, not only now, but also would in the future, and had the fates laughing the most at the current time. As you may have already guessed, clue number four for as to why the universe hated her, was the fact that they had sent her Kakashi Hatake to deal with; that they had sent her an absolute idiot in place of any other charming bloke that could've easily filled the position. Because of him, Misaki knew for certain that her previous bad luck meant something. It wasn't just a coincidence. The fates, destiny, even the universe itself, had a grudge against her. An absolute and never failing grudge. And, though she still didn't know _why_ \- maybe she was innocent, maybe she had been picked at random - nothing changed the fact that it was true.

Misaki ran a few shaking fingers through her hair, which she had missed more than she realized. Ever still, she stared into the mirror.

 _She knew she had to go._

Just like how she had convinced herself to turn into Sakura, Misaki constantly drilled the fact that this was her duty into her skull. _This didn't have anything to do with her social life,_ she told herself. _She didn't actually want to date him. This was necessary. This was_ necessary. Still, even with the comfort of her partially sane mind telling her so, she did not feel relieved in the slightest. In fact, it was rather on the contrary. If it was possible, Misaki looked and felt _more_ worried about the situation than she ever had before, and, even if it was only last minute nerves, it proceeded to make her even more apprehensive.

It was true that she really didn't want to do this. She didn't want to so much as _look_ at Kakashi Hatake, and she never had. Still, somehow, whether it be fate rearing its ugly head once more and purposely making her worried about nothing or not, it was definitely there; the urge to curl up into a ball and never again move. She knew this was her duty. She knew she had to do this, and yet, why did she feel like this was the worst mistake she would ever make? Why did she feel that if she went tonight, she would never again escape?

Most of all, why did she feel like Kakashi was going to capture her in more ways than one?

It wasn't like she liked him. Something like that happened over time, and for her, it had literally been a day. However, it wasn't like she could deny the clenching in her chest, either. It wasn't like she could continue to tell herself that she felt absolutely nothing but apathy towards the circumstances. That would be too painful, and, like many other similar situations that she had attempted to do as such with, it would end with unwanted tears, and, quite possibly, the loss of her job. Misaki couldn't handle that. She really, really couldn't, and despite what she may have said in the past; despite the proud, strong front she had cast for herself, she could no longer even deny how genuinely scared she was.

It wasn't a lie that she hated him. She did, and even as she repeated in within her head, she knew it to be true. However, that didn't mean that she would _always_ hate him. That it was impossible for something else to sprout inside her heart for the man during her stay with him. No, it wasn't impossible. Not at all. And, though reluctantly, Misaki was able to admit that _that_ was what had her frightened.

Misaki was afraid of a relationship she could never have. She was afraid of getting attached to the kids; to Naruto especially. She was afraid of practically everything that had to do with this mission, and, as it was her job, she could do nothing but try to work through it.

Everyone was expecting her to be strong. Everyone expected her to come out unscathed, and to throw Team 7 to the curb as soon as it was officially possible. They expected her to return with a smile, because it was finally over, and with countless stories of the annoyances she had had to deal with while present in their squad. They would expect her to be _glad_ to be free. They would expect not even a shred of emotion, because they had never known Misaki. They had never actually talked to _her_. They had talked to Agent Rapunzel, and they had talked to her uncaring attitude, but never before had a single one of them ever spoken with Misaki. Not even her boss. He was no different. He too, expected her to return with a smile on her face. And, he too did not care an inch about what she actually felt about the matter.

 _No one_ cared.

And it scared her to think that Team 7 just _might_.

 _This was it,_ she reprimanded herself for the final time. _This is your only chance._

 _Don't screw up._

"Excuse me!"

She spoke more bravely than she felt, but nonetheless approached the lazy jounin without very much difficulty. Her hand was outstretched, and in seconds, it rested comfortably - though she was certain it was as clammy as the rest of her - on his shoulder.

"I think you dropped this."

In her other hand was an orange book - purposefully, not to mention easily, pickpocketed from Kakashi's back pocket just moments before - and on her face, though she hated even the thought of it, was at least a pound of makeup. Also present on her lips - besides the countless layers of gloss - was a smile so wide it hurt.

She tried not to let her true feelings show through her fake expression as he turned to greet the woman who had spoken to him.

Misaki's braid had been redone, though _without_ the usual weapons, to her obvious disappointment, (The reluctance had been uncharacteristically strong) and to compliment her fair features, Misaki wore a pale yellow dress; classy at the top, and frilly at the bottom to allow easy movement. She wore simple white flats, while her ears were sporting little plastic lilies that had been too cute to pass up in the department store, and all in all, her appearance was about as far as you could ever get from Misaki's norm. For the sake of the mission she had done it all, and quite frankly, the look on his face was almost making her regret it.

As he turned to face her, Kakashi's expression went from slightly annoyed to completely stunned in record time. It was a slow motion version of what she had seen on his face when he first looked at her appearance as Sakura, and, quite honestly, Misaki would have been glad to stick to the not so drawn out version.

Without speaking, he simply stared at her, and like the genin boys, drank in her appearance in a slow and equally disbelieving matter. His eyes were wide - possibly wider than her fake smile - and as she attempted to draw her hand away from his shoulder, he quickly took grasp of it in his own, still completely stunned. He did not even acknowledge the book.

"You," he murmured; so quietly that it was both impossible to hear, and impossible _not_ to hear. She held her breath along with her tongue.

He continued, "I was looking for you, I-" and he sounded breathless, "I have have so much to tell you, I don't even know what to say, but it's…" and his tone slowed, "It's _you_."

Her gripped her hand tighter than she thought was necessary. "You're _real_. I can't believe it."

If Naruto were here, he might have snickered at the direct opposite of his usual catchphrase, but with a sigh, Misaki pushed the thought aside. There she went again, reminding herself of what she could never get attached to. She really needed to stop.

Instead of voicing her sureness of the genin's amusement, she quipped, "Yes, I'm most certainly real," before she giggled quietly, not to mention falsely. She hoped it was natural to laugh at such a disturbing thing, but, she found that she didn't really have to worry. A glance at Kakashi told her that he didn't really seem to think otherwise.

"Can we sit down somewhere and talk?" he asked; his eyes pleading and earnest. Misaki looked directly at him for once, at first saying nothing, but then opting to simply nod as the seconds had dragged on too long for her to comfortably say anything in confirmation.

Together, albeit a little awkwardly, they walked down the street.

In what felt like hours, though it was probably just seconds, they came upon the ramen stand that she had smelt upon her initial arrival to this section of Konoha, and without looking too desperate, she tried to steer him towards it.

"You have ramen in this village?" she asked; trying to sound foreign.

Kakashi questioned, "Do you like ramen?"

Truthfully, she answered, "Yes. Very much so."

And so they went.

Misaki was surprised to see Naruto there, once she opened the flap, but as it was comforting to see him getting along alright while she wasn't Sakura, she wasn't exactly bothered by it. It was true that he was rather annoying, and his flamboyant nature would definitely take some getting used to, but he wasn't a bad kid; most certainly not one that deserved all the rough treatment simply because he was a jinchuuriki. Naruto wasn't like Sasuke, who thought he was the spitting image of a god. _He_ was simply...misunderstood. And Misaki desperately wanted to understand him, even though it was against her plans. There was simply something about this boy that drew her in; more unconsciously than anything, and Misaki was curious to know what that something was.

Upon seeing her, Naruto's eyes widened - much like Kakashi's had done - but rather than sit stupefied, he instantly launched himself at her, crying, "Pretty lady!" all the while. It was an unexpected leap, but she caught him nonetheless, and before she even had time to think about what the polite reaction to this would be, she was laughing. Surely, the other occupants of the small, roadside ramen bar were looking at her funny, but she just didn't care. This boy was so happy to see her, despite the fact that he had only seen her once, that he literally jumped into her arms, and in Misaki's book, that was adorable.

She took a break from her soft chuckles to speak. "While I appreciate the fact that you think I'm pretty, Naruto," she began, "I really must tell you that I have a name. It's Misaki, and I would love it if you called me that."

In response, he smiled warmly; not seeming to realize the significance of the fact that she knew his name. "Of course, Pr- I mean Misaki!"

He turned to Kakashi. "You know her Sensei?" he asked, and the jounin didn't answer for some time as he tried to break himself free from an apparent trance. He seemed to be at a loss for an answer, so Misaki cut in; deciding to be bold while she still could.

"Of course he knows me," she told him; setting Naruto down.

"I am his girlfriend, after all."

 _And the trance returned._


	8. Chapter 7 - Trapped in her Presence

Kakashi hadn't thought his life could possibly get any better than it already was.

At the time of his birth, he had agreed to the terms of what his lifespan would entail. He accepted the fact that he would possibly one day sacrifice himself for his village, and he relished the duty of protecting the innocent. He allowed fate to decide that he would be a warrior. He allowed the fact that that meant he would never be able to have a lasting, solid relationship, and he allowed, most of all, the concept that he would never find true peace.

Kakashi allowed and accepted it all, simply because, since he had been given the privilege to be born; to experience life for what it was, he never felt it necessary to be selfish. He didn't mind the life he had been given.

Of course, he had his complaints, just as everyone else, ninja or not, did. As he was human, and nothing more, even _he_ often found himself wishing that he had more money to spend at his leisure, or that he could take a day off once in a while. It was a normal thing; a halfhearted complaint about something you weren't satisfied with that everyone voiced within their minds every once in a while. Kakashi hadn't thought much of it. He wasn't rich, but he wasn't poor either, and he was happy. He hadn't thought he needed anything more than that.

 _That was, of course, about the time he met Misaki._

Though he had never actually minded the fact that he didn't have a girlfriend, once he became captivated by the mystery of a woman that _was_ Misaki, he could not think of anything _but_ that. His mind was in a lock down, constantly thinking about her, and nothing _but_ her. The way her beautiful blond hair fell against her back. The way she smiled without a care in the world. The way her dark sapphire eyes twinkled, as if they contained all of the knowledge in the universe.

Every little thing about her - every aspect, every fact he knew - plagued his existence. He couldn't seem to focus on anything but the thought of how she would feel in his arms, and he killed himself over trying to forget about her. He simply couldn't get her off his mind.

Everything he did, even if he was just training with his genin, or simply strolling through town, somehow reminded him of her, and, whether it be the memory of their first or second meeting that rolled through his mind, it didn't change the fact that she was the only topic being discussed. Kakashi's brain had been captured; enchanted; enraptured; every word that could possibly describe the allurement he felt. And he, as he had lived a simple life without really realizing just how unhappy he was until now, didn't want it to end.

When he had first seen her, walking through the bustling streets of Konoha with her head held high and a smile on her lips, he had been _fascinated_. He wished, more than anything else that could possibly have concerned him at the time, that he could see her once more. His only thought was her, and it took a considerable amount of effort to take him away from his thoughts for even an instant. Somehow, even then, he knew that there was something special about this girl. Something different, and something likeable that he could easily get used to, if given the chance.

He _so_ wanted to have that chance.

Then, when fate decided to be kind to him for once in his life, and he was granted permission to see her again, he was _enthralled_. Her presence instantly became just that much more of a mystery as she ran from him, as if worried that he would see something he shouldn't, and he found himself unable to stop thinking about her once more; not that he ever had. Somehow, even just the image of her; blonde hair tightly woven into that intricate braid, those eyes, and that hidden spirit that he so longed to know more about, managed to remain in his mind. It transfixed his senses until he was completely hypnotized, and even though he hadn't even known her name, at that point in time, he was already considering marrying her on the spot if he ever was granted another meeting with her. He already adored her so much.

After that, something beyond his fantasies, beyond his hopes and his wildest dreams happened.

She called him her boyfriend. And even though he didn't know _why_ , even now, as he sat at the very same ramen stand he had thought was mediocre until just now, he didn't care. Kakashi was so overjoyed that he couldn't even think. Not even about her.

To explain the situation fully, let's backtrack an hour or so.

Exactly one hour and 15 minutes before the present time, Kakashi was busy doing absolutely nothing. As he didn't have training, which would have usually taken up that timeslot, (the Hokage had declared it to be an official day off for all squads) and he - again - didn't really have anyone to spend his time with, he was simply meandering around town; wasting the precious day off that he almost never got on thoughts of her, and also a lack of social activity.

A simple observation alerted him of the fact that the streets were less crowded than they usually were, and as he really didn't want to talk to anyone anyway, Kakashi found that he was rather grateful for the silence. With his constant and frantic mind, he didn't really have the patience to deal with anything but a calming and relaxed walk anyway, and it helped him settle into a steady pattern of trying to lay to rest unanswered questions. An unidentified amount of time passed as he was doing this; asking himself one question about Misaki at a time, and then likewise trying to answer it.

Before long, he came upon a louder section of town; where dozens of people were laughing and having a jolly time with their friends; mostly in bars and assorted restaurants. Kakashi realized rather quickly that he was actually hungry himself, but as he had left a container of leftovers from a previous meal earlier in the week for a little too long in his fridge already, he decided to wait to satisfy the hunger until he returned home. In any case, it wasn't like he had anyone he wanted to share his dinner with anyway. It would kind of kill his already dampened mood to have to sit at a booth alone.

So, without needing much debate on the matter, he turned abruptly to the side; heading down a dirt road similar to all the others in Konoha that would eventually lead him to his apartment complex. His head was hung low, and his Makeout Paradise book - which usually would have been in his hand already, had this been a different day - sat precariously in his back pocket; where he had placed it the last time he took a break from it. Surprisingly, it hadn't moved for hours. That was probably a new record.

Then Kakashi sighed; dragging his feet and kicking at a single stone in the dirt. The boredom from his lack of concrete tasks to complete had really hit him hard today, and the constant reminder that he might not ever meet with his mysterious beauty again wasn't helping things. He was simply down in the dumps. There was no other way to describe it. However, the more optimistic part of him - wherever it was buried in his overall pessimistic personality - told him that tomorrow would be better.

For once, he had something to look forward to in training, at the very least. Yesterday, Sakura had finally moved up a few levels in terms of being a ninja, and despite being just as annoyingly attached to Sasuke as she always was, she didn't seem to be yelling as much as she usually did. Kakashi was grateful for that, and he anticipated the future kunoichi she might become; if given the right training. The match between her and Sasuke that he had witnessed, especially the first few seconds of it, hadn't been as accidental as she seemed to think, and though he was slightly suspicious of this sudden newfound ability, he nonetheless was pleased to see the young Uchiha put in his place for once in his life. Out of all of his genin, Sasuke needed to be knocked down from his self-instituted pedestal the most, and Kakashi was happy to find that he wasn't the only one capable of doing so. Truly, perhaps he had overlooked Sakura's true potential.

That moment - when she had punched Sasuke, and caused him to wind up on the ground and at a loss for words - had been the only instance in the past _week_ that his mind hadn't been constantly on Misaki. For that one, single moment, he had been completely and truly engrossed in the fight. And, in that very same instant, he had been proud for the first time of the young and blossoming ninja before him. Far from his mind, as he thought of the things they would achieve in years to come, was the thought of Misaki's beautiful figure, her smile that could cure any disease, and even the dream of him holding her in his arms. While there, suspended in the same moment that he shared with all three of the genin alike, he didn't even fathom the thought that she could even exist. It was a peaceful, though brief, time.

However, as soon as the moment was over, and as soon as that tension finally broke; when Sakura began spouting her. 'Sasuke, Sasuke!' nonsense yet again, the thought was instantly back.

And it was as if it had never left.

Yet again, his mind was completely ensnared in her presence, and the rest of the training passed without him even realizing that time was still in motion. He simply sat there, observing, but not really processing what his eyes saw, and pondering every single question he had ever had about the mystery woman that plagued him so.

Only when Sakura gave up, during the rematch that he hadn't even realized he'd approved, did his mind return his genin again.

As something in him possessed his mind and convinced him that he should probably talk to Sakura about what had happened, he drew her over to the edge of the training ground to have a short chat; one she seemed to only half listen to. He told her that she had more potential than he realized, and that, if she wanted, they could set up a few extra and private lessons to master her chakra skill in the hopes that it would make her better at fighting. She seemed disinterested, but she agreed to the terms nonetheless, and Kakashi then let her go.

Retreating from the scene at lightning speed, Sakura vanished quickly into the night; eventually becoming so far away that he could no longer see her. Naruto and Sasuke as well had also disappeared from the field, and after realizing that he would look like a bit of an idiot, standing there in the middle of the clearing alone and not doing anything, if anyone walked past, Kakashi too left in a similar fashion.

Nothing had really happened in the timeframe that occupied from that moment to today, when he began walking home.

Once more realizing just how hopelessly riveted he was by the thought of meeting his mystery girl again, Kakashi allowed his head to droop even lower, and he ever still refused to even look at his book. It just didn't excite him, like it used to, and even though he was certain he would still anticipate the coming of the next part of the series, he definitely didn't adore them as much as he used to.

The scenarios in the Makeout Paradise series now seemed like they were taunting him; like they were suddenly and constantly jeering at him, reminding him of the relationship he so wanted, but was never going to get. They also completely rubbed the fact that everyone in the fictional world ended up with whoever they wanted to in his face, and he wasn't happy about it.

Oh, how he now wished that Misaki was the heroine in the story. That he was the main love interest, and that he could have her at the end of the tale, even if he had to go through a bunch of pointless - but somehow entertaining - drama to get to that point. He wanted the logic from that book series, whether or not it was written by a professional pervert, to apply to his own life. He wished he could meet her right now, hold her in his arms, and learn everything there was to know about her existence.

But he also knew that life wasn't a book. It wasn't a fairytale. So that didn't happen.

Kakashi just continued walking home alone, without a real purpose in the real scheme of the world. He had friends, but no one special. He had a job, but not one that he particularly enjoyed. And he had contentment. But not of the kind he was looking for.

Once more, he wished for a miracle to change the life he was living. He wished for something to drastically shift, and for something to grant him this one single, desire; the only one he had ever been selfish enough to speak out loud in the hope for it to reach someone other than himself. Kakashi wanted happiness. He wanted to wake up feeling joyous and blissful, even if it sprung from ignorance. He wanted to finally feel like he belonged somewhere.

 _And exactly one instant after he wished this, she appeared again._

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Kakashi turned, expecting to find some overly flirtatious idiot trying to score a lonely man before the night was over. However, to his immediate surprise and astounding pleasure, that wasn't what he found.

Instead, what he got was Misaki. And even though, at that time, he still didn't even know her name, she was a million times better than anything he had expected to befall him that night.

"Excuse me," she said, her voice slightly timid, but loud enough for him to hear.

"I think you dropped this."

In her hand was the book that had been in his back pocket previously, which he honestly hadn't even noticed he had dropped, but he couldn't find it in him to be glad that she had retrieved it for him. More than that, he was positively ecstatic that he was being given yet another chance to talk to her. Completely forgetting the book, he drunk in her appearance.

Her hair, as always, was braided in the same fashion as every other time that he had seen it; giving off an elegant appearance that complimented her fair skin and alluring ocean blue eyes. She was dressed in a modest fashion - a yellow dress that reached just beyond her knees and a pair of simple shoes that told no lies about her actual height - and even though she had on a fair share of makeup, it wasn't too overbearing. Also, he noted, simply because he didn't want to miss even a single thing about her, that she wore earrings in the shape of a flower that used the same color scheme as the rest of her outfit, and he instantly decided that they suited her.

After checking that he hadn't overlooked anything, he tried to address her.

" _You_ ," he spoke blatantly; probably sounding rather foolish as he was unable to find the proper words.

"I was looking for you," he tried again; stumbling over his words even though he was usually a smooth talker. "I-I have so much to tell you, I don't even know what to say, but it's…"

 _He forgot what he was going to say after that._

"It's _you_."

Gripping her hand, which he hadn't even realized that he had taken, he spoke again, "You're _real_." _A pause._ "I can't believe it."

She said something along the lines of, "Of course I'm real!" but Kakashi couldn't really focus on it. Of course, he wanted to process every little thing that she said and carefully catalogue them in his brain, but he soon found it difficult to focus on anything but the laugh emitted from her throat. He had never heard it up close like this, and the experience was positively unbelievable.

"Can we sit down somewhere and talk?" he asked; his voice a little too eager. She seemed to notice his insistence, and after only hesitating for a few seconds, finally nodded in confirmation to his words. As quickly as they met, they set off; heading in the opposite direction of his home.

 _Kakashi didn't exactly mind the extra trip._

Soon enough, (Kakashi wasn't sure just how much time had passed, as he was still just as lost in her presence as he had been the moment he saw her) they came upon the happening food district that he had just recently passed on his journey home. Even though a solid half an hour had passed, everyone was still in the same hassle that they had been when he had strolled through, and for once, as his heartbeat was getting painfully loud, he was grateful for the noise. As he was about to ask if she wanted to eat something, she spoke.

"You have ramen in this village?" she asked; sounding as if she had only just gotten to Konoha not too long ago, which sort of made sense, considering that he had only just met her recently.

Kakashi questioned, "Do you like ramen?" instead of giving her a direct answer.

"Yes. Very much so," she replied, and as the unspoken agreement passed, and they made their way underneath the flap, Kakashi registered the information into his brain.

 _New piece of knowledge: She likes ramen. Remember that._

To his surprise, and slight displeasure - after all, he _was_ alone with the girl of his dreams, and he wanted to keep it that way - he soon realized that Naruto was also eating at the very same stand. However, if the boy hadn't surprised him by jumping into her arms, screaming, "Pretty lady!" as he did so, he probably wouldn't have even noticed. Kakashi instantly moved to catch her, if she were to buckle from the sudden weight in her arms, but as she caught Naruto with ease, it instantly became apparent that she didn't need it.

 _So then, she was stronger than she looked?_

Now paying attention to her every word, in case he was to gain more information out of this encounter with his most hyperactive genin, he leaned in closer as she talked to him; quickly realizing that he had missed another opportunity to listen to her laugh. Apparently, instead of being annoyed that a random boy - one he assumed she didn't know outside of the time she had _possibly_ noticed his presence at the training field - had jumped straight into her arms, she found it amusing, and couldn't help but chuckle at the hilarity of the odds. Kakashi listened with even more fervor; hoping for her to laugh once more, if only for a second.

"While I appreciate the fact that you think I'm pretty, Naruto," she began, still holding him. "I really must tell you that I have a name. It's Misaki, and I would love it if you called me that."

Kakashi melted at the sound of that. _Misaki_. It was perfect. It fit the image he had of her perfectly, and it rolled off his tongue - even though he couldn't yet speak it out loud - in a beautiful fashion.

Again, before he forced himself to tune back into the conversation, he tried it in his mind.

 _Misaki_.

 _Yeah. Definitely perfect._

"Of course, Pr- I mean Misaki!" Naruto excitedly exclaimed; happy that she had shared her name with him, but unable to realize that she knew his for unknown reasons. Kakashi was no less guilty, as his entire focus was still on the woman he had just learned the name of, but even still, it didn't change the fact that it was strange for Naruto - at the very least - not to notice. After all, it was his name. But it wasn't like Naruto had the mind to care.

Turning to Kakashi, he asked, "You know her Sensei?" and in turn, as Kakashi was still thinking about how Misaki would sound absolutely _divine_ with the surname of Hatake in the coming future, wasn't able to come up with a reasonable answer. His mouth and ability to speak was lost on him, and he couldn't think of anything else but the image of Misaki in a wedding dress. However, the woman in question picked up for his slack.

As she slowly set Naruto down, she stated, "Of course he knows me," knocking Kakashi out of his thoughts in order to listen to her reason, only for him to quickly fall back into them as he heard just what it was.

Smiling at Naruto, Misaki cooed, "I am his girlfriend, after all."

 _And Kakashi was honestly surprised he hadn't fainted on the spot._

(AN: Sorry this ended at the exact same cliffhanger as last time. You probably hate me now. xD I just wanted to tell the same events in Kakashi's point of view, to give further depth to what was happening. I promise the next chapter will advance from here, so please comment and tell me what you want to see!)


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